


You're My Forever

by scrappylittlegleek



Series: The Value Of Love [2]
Category: Supergirl (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lena Luthor is a Softie, Lena is a wine mom, Panic Attacks, Self-Hatred, domestic supercorp, lori luthor is a big sister
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 08:04:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19330459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrappylittlegleek/pseuds/scrappylittlegleek
Summary: Set about a year after "The Value Of Love", Kara and Lena plan on growing their family and embarking on a new life together.(This story will still make sense if you haven't read the first one)





	1. Midvale

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't planning on writing a sequel but my hand slipped and here we are. I hope you guys like it!

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Lena, my mom is gonna love you,” Kara said with a kind smile. She reached for Lena’s hand, giving it a squeeze. Lena plastered on a smile in return, but Kara could see right through it.

She knew this kind of thing would be hard for Lena and was completely okay with the fact that it might take a little longer than she would’ve liked to get the three of them out of the car. Lena still wasn’t used to the whole family thing yet, it could still be so much at times. All of it was so foreign to her. Even having a daughter and girlfriend was still extremely new to her, it was only understandable that meeting Kara’s mom, Eliza, on top of that would cause her stress. And though Kara would've liked to go in and see Eliza as soon as she could, she was fine with waiting for Lena for however long she needed.

“What about Lori?” Lena asked nervously.

She glanced back nervously at the sleeping eleven-year-old in the back seat. She’d passed out as soon as they’d gotten on the highway and slept nearly the entire four-hour car ride.

“She’s gonna love Lori,” Kara reassured.

Lena opened her mouth to protest, but Kara cut her off before she could make a sound.

“I promise, she’s gonna love both of you.”

Lena sighed and nodded, trying to get herself to believe Kara’s words. She wanted to, she really did. It was just so much easier to listen to the voice in her head that told her that this was all a fluke. Kara’s mom would hate her just as much as her own mother did. She would make a terrible first impression, she would stutter and stammer just like she always did when she was nervous and Eliza would know right away that she wasn’t good enough for Kara. And of course, Lena would believe her. She wouldn’t blame her for hating her. Kara deserved the best-- she deserved better than the best. And more often than not, Lena still worried she would never amount to that.

“Lena, I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about,” Kara said; as if she could read Lena’s mind.

Lena released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in and attempted to muster up a small smile. “I’m sorry, I just… I’ve never done this before,” she said with an anxious chuckle. “I mean I’ve met my exes parents before but I-- never like this-- and obviously, that was before Lori.”

Kara nodded understandingly. “I know,” she said softly. “But my mom loves kids. And Lori’s the sweetest little girl I’ve ever met-- and I teach kids her age every day so I work with a _lot_ of little girls. Trust me, she’s perfect, my mom has no reason not to love her.”

“Are we gonna tell her about the thing?”

Kara shrugged. If she was being honest, she’d thought about telling Eliza. She just wasn’t sure how or when the right time was. Or if there even _was_ a right time. So really, she couldn’t be sure. All she knew that whenever the thought crept into her mind, she tried to avoid mulling it over because she knew it would only worry her.

“Do you want to?”

Now, it was Lena’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know, do you think she’ll be mad?”

Kara shook her head. “No, of course not. I just… I don’t know if now is the right time to tell her.”

Letting out a sigh, Lena looked over at Kara nervously. She didn’t have to say a word for Kara to know exactly what she was thinking.

“Hey, she’s gonna love you _and_ Lori. And if we decide to tell her about the thing, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled,” she said and leaned over to give Lena a kiss.

Lena gave a small smile. “I know I just, I’m terrible at first impressions. I don’t want to say something stupid or offensive or--”

“Lena,” Kara placed a firm hand on Lena’s knee. “You’re going to be okay, I promise. And if you say something stupid or offensive, I’ll cover for you, but I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”

“What if Lori says something stupid or offensive?”

“Lori’s eleven, if she says something stupid or offensive it’s because she’s a kid and picked it up from someone at school. Or Alex. My mom won’t get mad.”

Lena paused and took a deep breath. When she eventually turned to face Kara, her expression softened and Kara could see just how nervous she really was.

“What if your mom hates us?”

“She’s not going to hate you guys,” Kara said softly. “You both are perfect, there’s nothing she won’t love. Besides, we’re engaged, she kinda has to love you.”

Lena leaned back in her seat, avoiding Kara’s gaze. She looked at her hands and tried to find the right words. “I don’t know… I just worry about Lori so much even though I know I don’t need to. I just want this weekend to be perfect for her, and for your mom, and for you, of course.”

“What about you?” Kara asked.

“What?”

“What about you?” She repeated. “You want this weekend to be perfect for Lori, myself, and my mom, but what about you?”

Lena shrugged. “I don’t know, I hadn’t really thought about that I guess,” she admitted. “I’ve just been so nervous about meeting your mom and Lori meeting your mom that I haven’t been thinking about myself much.”

“Well, you deserve a perfect weekend too,” Kara said.

Lena felt her cheeks turn bright red and she quickly averted Kara’s gaze. She shuffled her feet against the bottom of her seat in an attempt to try and appear less flustered.

After a few moments, Kara looked back up at her and offered a smile. “Do you think you’re ready to go in?”

Lena nodded. “Yeah, I’ll wake Lori up.”

* * *

 

Kara’s childhood home was everything like Lena expected it to be yet nothing like she’d expected at the same time.

From standing in front, she could see a swingset and what appeared to be a jungle gym in the back yard. It didn’t take long before Lori was tugging on her arm and asking if she and Kara could play together (they’d recently come up with a new game where Kara chased Lori around the park until she caught up to her, she would throw her over her shoulder and tickle Lori’s stomach until Lori said the magic word; bananas).

There was a porch swing in the front lawn and when Kara opened the door, they were hit with the smell of freshly baked cookies and pie. When Eliza took them into the living room, Lena saw photos of Kara and Alex as children lined the walls. Old books lined the bookshelves along with more pictures of the happiest family Lena had ever seen. Kara and Alex’s old drawings were even still framed and hung above the mantle.

When Eliza came to greet them, she wrapped Kara in a tight hug.

“Oh you need to visit more often,” she said as she pulled away, a bright smile on her lips. “I’ve missed you so much.”

She then turned to Lena, her smile never fading even for a second. She hugged her the same way she had for Kara and Lena could feel her nerves slowly but surely being eased away.

“It’s so great to finally meet you,” Eliza said.

“You too,” Lena breathed. “You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you,” Eliza said and looked down at Lori, who was clinging to Kara’s hand tightly. “You must be Lori.”

Lori nodded.

“I’m Eliza, I’m Kara’s mom.”

“You’re so tall,” Eliza marveled. “Soon you’ll be as big as your mom.”

Lori grinned and nodded again, despite being very short for her age. She liked to think her growth spurt was coming, and when it did, she would be as big as a grown up.

“Are you like… my grandma?” She asked.

Eliza paused, slightly taken aback by the question.

It wasn’t like she didn’t want to be a grandma. She’d been waiting for the day she’d get to own that title ever since Alex and Maggie got engaged. And when Kara told her about Lori, well, of course, she was thrilled. She just hadn’t expected Lori to be so open to it right off the bat.

“I-- kind of, yes,” she stammered.

“I like that,” Lori smiled. “Can I call you grandma?”

“Of course,” Eliza responded.

Kara and Lena exchanged glances, both of them wanting to squeal at the exchange.

“Why don’t you all come inside, Alex and Maggie are upstairs in the guest room unpacking but they’ll be down soon,” Eliza suggested and guided the three into the living room.

Lena and Kara took their seats on the sofa with Lori beside them. Eliza sat across the coffee table on the lazy boy. As she began to talk to Kara and Lori, Lena couldn’t help but look around the room and take it all in once more.

Eliza’s house was everything she’d wanted as a child. She could only imagine what it must’ve been like to grow up here, always feeling safe. Being surrounded by unconditional love and warmth, just like families in movies or books. Looking at Kara now, it made so much sense. She radiated sunshine and genuine kindness. Put simply, she was a product of the world she’d grown up in. It only made sense that she would be so perfect; she’d come from perfection.

Lena drew in a breath and held it. This wasn’t the time for her insecurities to shine through. This was hardly the place to think about how scared she was of screwing Lori up the way her mother screwed her up. She was engulfed in everything she’d ever wanted as a child, why couldn’t she just be happy about it? Why did she have to find something to get anxious about?

“Lena, you okay?” Kara whispered.

Lena forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”  

Sensing the tension between the two, Eliza looked over at Lori and smiled. “Do you want to see the jungle gym outside?” She offered, and Lori nodded eagerly.

“Come on, we should get Alex and she can play on the swings with us,” Eliza said as she took Lori’s hand before leading her upstairs to find Alex.

“I’m sorry,” Lena said as soon as they were out of sight.

“What, why? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Lena shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t know,” she admitted with a dry chuckle. “I just feel so out of place.”

“What do you mean? Eliza loves you already.” Kara draped her arm over Lena’s shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile.

Lena sighed and looked down at her lap. “I don’t know… being here is just a lot I guess. I’ll be fine.”

Kara bit her lip. She knew Lena well enough to see that there was more to the story than what she was letting on. But she knew not to push, at least not yet. Lena would come to her when she was ready. She always did.

“The wedding plannings just been getting to me,” Lena added as she rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and snuggled closer to her. “I’m tired is all.”

Kara nodded understandingly and placed a quick kiss on Lena’s lips. “Well, leave the rest to me and I’ll worry about it for you,” she said with a smile. “For now, the only thing you need to stress about is how you and I are gonna have to share a twin sized bed for the next few days.”

Lena giggled and nuzzled her head into Kara’s neck. “Mm, you better not steal the blanket from me like you do at home.”

“Hey, I do _not_ steal the blanket, you’re making things up.”

* * *

 

“Lena, can you come here for a minute?”

Lena took a seat at the kitchen island, watching as Eliza began to take out silverware from the cabinets for dinner.

“Do you need any help?” She offered.

Eliza shook her head. “No, I’m alright, thank you though. I just… I thought we should talk.”

Lena’s chest tightened. Needing to talk never meant anything good.

“Oh?”

Eliza nodded and set a stack of plates down on the countertop. She took her seat across from Lena and folded her hands in her lap. She smiled when she saw the fear that crossed Lena’s face, her way of reassuring her that nothing was wrong and she wasn’t in any trouble.

“I can tell this whole thing is still new to you,” she admitted with a laugh.

“I’m sorry, I’m not following.”

“This,” Eliza said and gestured to the rest of the room. “Having a family, feeling welcome, as if you belong.”

Lena pressed her nail into her thumb and nodded slowly. Was she really that obvious about it?

“I know growing up as a Luthor couldn’t have been easy,” Eliza’s tone was soft and gentle, the way Lena spoke to Lori when she got upset. It just didn’t make any sense. It was almost like she felt bad, but why would anyone feel bad for Lena’s upbringing? She’d been filthy rich since before she had a concept of what money even was. There was no reason for Eliza to feel sorry for her. 

_Just tell her everything’s fine, if you agree with her you’ll seem spoiled and ungrateful._

“It is. It’s getting better, being with Kara, she’s just so-- I never feel out of place with her,” Lena internally cursed herself for slipping up.

But even if she hadn’t meant to say it, she still meant it. Kara was upstairs, helping Lori unpack and showing her where all of her and Alex’s old legos are so they could build a tower together. Lori had been begging for new ones for weeks now, insisting that she desperately _needed_ them. Lena had only found out recently that it was because she wanted to make her own L Corp where she could be in charge (only in her version, the L would stand for Lori, which she made very clear). It was strange, but it was good strange.

“Having her and Lori in my life now, I have a better understanding of what the whole family thing is supposed to be like. But it’s still crazy at times. It’s all just very new,” Lena carelessly continued. It was like she couldn’t stop herself, she knew it was wrong to spill all of this to her, but the way Eliza looked at her-- she just couldn’t help to open up. 

“It must be a lot to take in, all the changes, I mean,” Eliza sympathized.  

Lena nodded. “Yeah, it’s good for the most part though.”

She bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from saying any more. Eliza didn’t need to know how seeing Kara’s childhood home only made her resent Lillian even more. She didn’t need to embarrass herself by talking about how seeing Kara’s old room made her want to cry. Or how seeing all the pictures on the mantle caused a sickening feeling in her stomach that had only been growing throughout the day. Being surrounded by all this goodness, she should’ve been feeling, well, good. Telling Eliza the truth would only be disappointing for both of them.

So Lena smiled and pinched herself harder, hoping the grossness of it all would go away soon.

“I know it’s probably still hard at times,” Eliza said softly. “But I want you to know, you have a place here, no matter what happens. You’re a part of this family now, whether you like it or not.”

“Thank you,” Lena said, unsure of how to react. Really she just wanted to cry.

It was all so much so fast. All the anger and memories and resentment that was coming to surface juxtaposed with the safety and security and pure love that surrounded Eliza’s home. She felt like her head was going to explode from all the confusion. It just made her want to scream.

“And if Kara ever hurts you, just call me and I’ll beat her up for you,” Eliza added with a playful grin.

“Thank you, but I don’t think either of us needs to worry about that,” Lena said and chuckled to herself. “Kara’s the best, she’d never hurt me.”

Eliza nodded and stood up. “That’s good to know,” she smiled. “Now, would you mind helping me set the table for dinner?”

* * *

 

Dinner with the Danvers’ (and Maggie) was an experience. Not necessarily a bad one, but a big, slightly frightening one.

Alex and Maggie sat side by side, filling in Eliza on everything that had happened since the last time they’d seen each other. They showed her pictures of the cats they’d adopted and before she knew it, Lori was begging Kara to get a cat since she knew if she asked Lena, Lena would say no. The Danvers’ reminisced over old times and brought up embarrassing stories from the past (much to Alex and Kara’s dismay). Before long, everyone was laughing and chatting loudly about so many things Lena had lost track. And it only took a few minutes before the talking and the noise and then everything all at once became far too much for her to handle.

“I-- I’m sorry, I’ll be right back,” she said abruptly. Pushing in her chair, she stood up and quickly exited through the kitchen door.

Silence fell across the room, only broken when Lori dropped her fork on the ground out of shock.

Kara and Eliza exchanged glances as Kara said: “I’m gonna go check on her.”

And before anyone could say anything else, Kara was up and out of her seat, headed towards the back door.

The night sky was dark but filled with stars, it was the kind of sky you’d have to drive a few miles outside of National City to see. The only sound came from crickets jumping around in the damp grass which tickled Kara’s feet. The mud between her toes made her regret not stopping to put shoes on, but it was too late for that now.

From where she stood in front of the house, she could see Lena sitting on one of the jungle gyms red and yellow swings, swaying back and forth ever so slightly. Kara let out a sigh of relief as she walked over to and sat down on the swing beside her. She didn’t say anything at first, she didn’t want to startle Lena. So they sat silently, listening to the crickets and watching the stars. Occasionally, Lena would sniffle and her breath would hitch as she forced down a sob. But Kara didn’t say anything about it, so neither did she.

Eventually, when the crickets started to quiet down and the wet grass didn’t feel so gross, Kara turned to Lena and broke the silence. “Hey, is everything okay?” She asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Lena sniffed and wiped the tears off her cheeks. She stared straight ahead of her, not ready to meet Kara’s eyes and see how she’d disappointed her.

“It’s just a lot.”

Kara nodded. “Yeah, my family can be kinda overbearing,” she said with a quiet chuckle. “If you need a minute alone, I can go back inside.”

But Lena shook her head. “No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

Lena shrugged. The whole thing was just so pathetic. There was no reason for her to be upset. They’d driven all this way to see Eliza and here she was, crying over nothing, stealing Kara away for comfort.

“Your family’s great, Kara,” Lena smiled sadly. “They’re _so_ great and I…” her voice broke and she looked down at her hands as fresh tears began to fall.

“I know it’s stupid and childish an-- and just _dumb_ to be jealous but I--” Lena stopped and looked back up at Kara. Her lips pulled downwards into a frown and through the darkness, Kara could see how pink her cheeks had gotten.

“Your family is everything I wanted growing up, and now I-- now it’s all here and in front of me and it…”

“It’s scary,” she confessed. “It just feels too good to be true, you know? Like Eliza, she’s so nice to me and I-- I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop because I _know_ it can’t be real. And I keep thinking she’s gonna turn into Lillian and end up hating me. But I-- at the same time I just-- I feel like such an awful for waiting for someone as good as her to turn out to be terrible.”

“You’re not a bad person,” Kara said softly. “You’re not wrong for waiting for the other shoe to drop it’s-- you’re scared, it’s normal.”

Lena sighed and wiped her eyes. “Yeah, well I’m sure you never sat around waiting for Eliza to stab you in the back,” she said with a scoff.

“Well… not exactly, but I didn’t always trust her.”

Lena paused before raising a questioning eyebrow. “You didn’t?”

Kara shook her head. “When I was first adopted I… I was so scared that it wasn’t gonna last. That something terrible would happen and I would end up losing Eliza and Jeremiah just like I lost my birth parents. Especially when I first moved in because I didn’t understand how to love someone that wasn’t my real mom and I-- I just felt so guilty that they’d taken me in.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Lena whispered.

Kara nodded. “I know that now,” she said with a slight smile. “But it’s still hard sometimes.”

“You know you can come to me if you ever start to feel that way again, I’d understand,” Lena said softly.

Kara smiled. “Yeah, I know I can trust you. But at the time I just-- I was so confused, you know? It was all so scary and so new, part of me thought Eliza would turn out to be like the evil stepmother from Cinderella.”

“And it really sucked for a while. When Jeremiah died, I honestly thought things would never get better,” Kara admitted. She looked down at her lap and willed herself not to cry at the memory. Losing two fathers in her lifetime, she had been so sure things would only get worse. Eliza would realize she wasn’t worth her time and send her to another family. Alex would finally get her room back and move on. She could forget Kara ever existed while Kara tried to tell herself she didn’t know what it felt like to lose three parents.

“Kara I… I’m so sorry,” Lena breathed. “No one should have to go through something like that.”

Kara nodded sadly. “Yeah,” she said with a sigh. She quickly wiped her eyes and tried to pull herself back together. Lena was hurting and she needed to be there for her.

“My point is, I know what it’s like to be scared when things start to feel too good. I was scared for a really long time.”

Lena reached for Kara’s hand and held it tightly. “I’m still scared,” she admitted.

“I know, and that’s okay. Because things are gonna get better, they did for me and I’m not gonna give up on giving you your perfect little family.”

Lena gave a tearful smile. “I already have one. You and Lori are everything I need.”

“I’m glad.”

“It’s just overwhelming I guess, to finally have it after so long. It’s so much so fast and I-- sometimes I just can’t take it.”

“I know, but you’ve been doing really great so far, and I promise it’s only gonna get better from here,” Kara said and gave Lena’s hand a squeeze.

“You ready to go back inside?” She asked as Lena stood up and brushed herself off.

“Yeah,” Lena nodded. “Do you think it’ll be okay if I just go lie down? I’m tired and I… I feel like I’ll freak out again if I go back to dinner.”

“Of course,” Kara said and snaked her arm around Lena’s waist, pulling her close. She placed a gentle kiss on Lena’s forehead as the began the walk back and Lena habitually rested her head on Kara’s shoulder.

“I love you,” she mumbled into Kara’s neck, kissing it softly.

“I love you too.”

And with that, Lena knew she was home.


	2. The Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara tell Eliza about the thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited about this, I hope you all like it.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Lena said and set her hairbrush down on the dresser. “We should tell your mom today.” 

Kara paused and stepped out of the closet, her shirt half unbuttoned and only one shoe on. “We should?” 

“Yeah,” Lena said with a shrug. “I mean, the next time we see her will be at the wedding and I don’t want to be stressing about it right before we get married.” 

Kara shuffled on her heels and rubbed her collar bone. “Are you sure? I’m not against it or anything, it’s just that, yesterday you really wanted to wait.” 

Lena shrugged. “I’m not,” she admitted. “Trust me, I’m still terrified. But I know if we wait I’m only going to get more nervous about it. And I’ve been thinking about what you said… I don’t think she’ll be mad.” 

Kara walked over to Lena and placed two firm hands on her shoulders. She smiled brightly and leaned forward to kiss her lovingly. “She won’t be mad, she’ll be thrilled.” 

Lena bit her lip and blushed at the affection. She looked down, stealing a glance of Kara’s perfectly chiseled abs and felt her cheeks heat up even more. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kara, who pulled back the collar of her shirt, exposing her chest. 

“You like the view?” She teased and opened her shirt even further. Lena nodded and smiled, her cheeks growing redder with every passing second. She leaned forward to kiss Kara’s neck softly as Kara took Lena’s hand in her own and gently guided it across the exposed skin. It didn’t take long before Lena was pressed up against Kara, kissing her passionately. She tugged at the hem of Kara’s shirt, her way of asking Kara to take it the rest of the way off. 

Kara ran her hands through her hair, cupping her head in her palms. “Mmm, I love you,” she mumbled against her. Lena let out a small moan of affirmation as Kara quickly unbuttoned the rest of her shirt's buttons. She pulled it off and tossed her it on the floor before immediately turning back to Lena and kissing her again without missing a beat. Kara smiled as she pulled her closer and slid her hand up Lena’s shirt. 

“Is this okay?” She asked.

Lena nodded eagerly, guiding her hand to her bra strap. It took a few seconds of fumbling, but Kara was finally able to unhook it and pull it off before tossing it beside her discarded shirt. 

“Mama I can’t find my-- ahh!” 

At the sound, Kara and Lena instantly jumped away from each other. Both felt their heart rates shoot through the roof when they saw Lori standing in front of them. Her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes widened with horror and disgust. 

Clumsily, Kara scrambled to her knees and with shaky hands picked up her shirt to cover herself. 

“Lori uh-- wh-- what did you-- you needed me?” She stammered, her cheeks turning bright red. 

“I couldn’t find my swimsuit,” Lori said, her eyes not leaving Lena’s mortified face for a second. 

“I’m just gonna ask Aunt Maggie to help,” quickly, she turned around and ran out of the room, leaving Kara and Lena to wallow in humiliation. 

Lena stumbled backward and sat back onto the bed. She covered her mouth with her hand, the realization of what she’d just done beginning to sink in as the initial shock faded away. 

“We just…” she looked up at Kara. “We just traumatized our daughter.” 

Kara nodded slowly. She couldn’t help but laugh at the whole mess, to which Lena shot her a scowl. “Hey, come on, it’s kinda funny,” she said defensively. 

“She’s never gonna be able to forget it-- hell _I’m_ never gonna be able to forget it,” Lena brought her hands up to her forehead and flopped onto her back. “Kara we’re _those_ parents.” 

“What parents?”

“The parents whose kids walk in on them having sex because they aren’t careful.” 

“We weren’t having sex.” 

“We could’ve been.” 

Kara shrugged as she finished re-buttoning up her shirt. She lied down besides Lena, rolling onto her stomach so she could give her a kiss. 

Lena shot Kara a playful glare and groaned. “We have to go have breakfast with your family and Lori’s probably told everyone by now. Your mom’s gonna be so mad.” 

“Lena, we’re adults, she can’t be mad about us kissing.” 

“She’ll be mad that we weren’t responsible enough to find a room with a door that locks,” Lena said with a scoff. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms. She let out a groan and turned her head towards Kara. 

“Do we still have to go to breakfast?” 

Kara nodded, taking Lena’s hands in her own and pulling her up so she was sitting again. “Yes, because my mom made pancakes and I don’t want to miss that. _And_ after breakfast, we’re gonna tell her about the thing.” 

“We are?” Lena asked; making a face. 

Kara nodded once more. “Hey, this was your idea.” 

Lena sighed and rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. “I know,” she mumbled. “It’ll be fine I’m just kinda dreading it.” 

“Me too,” Kara said with a huff. “But it’ll be over before we know it.” 

Luckily for both Kara and Lena, breakfast went smoothly and Lori didn’t bring up the incident from earlier to anyone. 

Kara and Lena playfully kicked each other under the table until Kara’s foot slipped and she ended up hitting Alex in the leg, which got her an exasperated glare from her sister. She made a mental note to start being more subtle when showing affection towards Lena before going back to the conversation with her family. 

After everything was cleaned up, Maggie took Lori outside so they could go ‘exploring’, which meant Lena and Kara finally got a moment alone with Eliza. 

“Hey, so there’s something we’ve been meaning to talk to you about,” Kara said with a nervous smile. “Can we go sit for a minute?” 

“Of course, dear, is something wrong?” 

Kara shook her head. “Oh-- no, nothing’s wrong, it’s good news, actually.” 

“So, we’ve been in touch with Lori’s old social worker, Winn, lately,” Lena picked up as the three of them took their seats in the living room. 

“Oh?” 

Kara nodded and took a sip of her hot chocolate which she’d stolen from the kitchen. As she glanced over at Lena, her heart picked up its pace and she was overcome with anxiousness even though she had been completely calm just seconds ago. She drummed her finger against the armrest of the sofa and took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that she had nothing to worry about. And if there was, she couldn’t let herself panic.

Between her and Lena, at least one of them had to stay calm during this conversation. And Kara knew how anxious Eliza made Lena, which meant the burden fell on her. So she took one more breath and reminded herself that Eliza would be happy about the news, she had no reason not to be. After all, this was a good thing. She knew this. She just had to get the talking part out of the way and everything would be fine. 

“He’s been having a hard time finding a steady placement for two kids so we’re going to be taking them in,” Kara said and braced herself for the response. 

When she saw the smile that crossed Eliza’s lips, her body visibly relaxed and she remembered all the reasons she loved Midvale so much. It was home. And there was no feeling of relief that could compare to when Kara came back to Eliza and she could bask in the unconditional warmth and kindness of her mother's love. 

“That’s incredible,” Eliza breathed. “How long were you thinking?” 

Kara looked to Lena for an answer, but she just gave an honest shrug. 

“We really can’t be sure,” she admitted. “When I first got Lori I thought it was just going to be for a couple of weeks but here we are.”

Lena looked down at her hands and began to fiddle with her thumbs. “I mean I-- we want to adopt them but things happen so we’re trying not to get our hopes up.”

She knew Eliza wasn’t going to be like Lillian, or at least she knew it subconsciously. However, she couldn’t help but worry something was off. 

“I talked to Winn yesterday and he said he’s been trying to find them a permanent home for a while now but nothing’s worked out,” Kara continued from where Lena left off. “We’ve been hoping we’ll get to adopt them or at least foster them long enough to make a positive impact, but we can never really be sure of how long any of it’s going to last.” 

Eliza nodded understandingly. “I remember when Jeremiah and I got the call that we were going to be taking you home with us.” 

Kara bit her lip as her eyes filled with tears. She’d heard the story so many times but it still got to her. Finding out she was being adopted had been both the best and worst day of her life. She remembered arriving at their doorstep with all her belongings in a single purple suitcase and Eliza asking Alex to carry it upstairs for her. She remembered walking into her new room for the first time and being hit with a wall of anguish and thankfulness and sorrow and appreciation for the new life she was being given. It had all been so much so fast, it was still hard to process or even just think about at times. 

She knew better than anyone what it felt like to take up space in a house that wasn’t her own and absolutely hate herself for it. Sharing a room with Alex served as a brutal reminder of that for months before she began to warm up to Kara. But hearing Eliza retell the story of how upon seeing Kara for the first time she _knew_ she was her daughter, some of the guilt would begin to dissolve away and Kara could really truly love her home again. And she could know that she belonged there just as much as Alex did. 

And maybe it was for that reason that she’d instantly felt a connection with Lori and why she’d felt so compelled to help these kids. She knew what it was like to feel out of place and alone, and she wanted to do everything in her power to make sure no others had to go through the same thing. 

“I know it was a rough couple of months at first, but adopting you was truly the best decision I ever made.”  

Kara stood up and Eliza wrapped her in a loving hug, holding her tightly. “I’m so proud of you,” she said softly. “You’re doing such an amazing thing for these kids.” 

When she pulled away, she turned to Lena and held her close, the same way she’d done for Kara. The contact startled her, causing her to tense up and look to Kara for help. But before long, she was able to ease into the touch, take a deep breath, and hug Eliza back. And when she whispered _I’m really proud of you too, Lena,_ Lena felt a weight lift off her shoulders and tears spring into her eyes. 

Eliza was proud of her, she was really _proud_ of her. She’d known her for all of two days but she was proud of her, something Lillian never was. 

Eliza gave Lena a squeeze before backing away and beaming at them both.

“So tell me, do you know the names of my future grandkids?” 

Lena let out a relieved chuckle and nodded. “Yeah, one of them is a little girl named Luna and the other is a boy named Jonah.” 

Eliza’s breath caught in her throat and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, those are beautiful. Do you know how old they are?” 

“Jonah’s nine and Luna just turned four,” Kara said with a smile. She could feel all the fear and nervous build-up disappear as she looked at Eliza’s proud grin. Everything was okay, just as she’d said it would be. 

“Do you want to see a picture?” Lena asked and Eliza nodded immediately. 

Soon enough, she had pulled up a picture of the two that Winn had sent when he first told Kara and Lena about them. 

Luna and Jonah stood side by side, clearly posing and both looking awfully uncomfortable. And maybe that was one of the reasons that looking at the photo, Kara and Lena teared up every time they saw it. 

Luna was far too thin to be healthy. Her brown skin was blotchy and her clothes were worn and dirty. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes. The kind that Lena got when she would work past midnight for days on end until Kara would shut her laptop and force her to shower and go to bed. Luna’s shoes were being held together with duct tape and by looking at her, Lena couldn’t help but think back to what Lori had looked like when they’d first met. So innocent and small, all she wanted to do was reach out and do something, anything to help. 

Luna’s curly hair was frizzy and undone. It looked like it hadn’t been washed or brushed in weeks. The first time Lena saw the photo, she’d made appointments at the nearest Dominican hair salon for her and Kara so they could learn how to braid and care for it properly. 

Next to her, Jonah was standing stiffly, giving an awkward smile. His clothes were baggy and where his jeans ripped it showed his bruises and the scrapes on his knees. 

His hair was messy and overgrown, just like Luna’s. The same dark circles as hers made his eyes droopy and tired looking, only his were more obvious against his pale skin. The sight alone made Kara wish she could take them both home and attend to their every need. It brought tears to Eliza’s eyes, who handed the phone back to Lena and tried to find the right thing to say.

“You’re doing a really wonderful thing for these kids,” she said eventually. “You’re gonna change their lives and that… that is so incredible.” 

Kara smiled tearfully and nodded. “Yeah, I hope so,” she breathed and looked over at Lena, who also had tears in her eyes. 

“Does Lori know?” 

Lena shuffled awkwardly on her heels, shifting her weight between both legs and nodded. “Yeah, we’ve talked to her about it,” she said quietly. “It definitely took a while for her to warm up to the idea-- of course, we talked to her about having more kids before making the decision to actually go for it because, after everything she’s been through, she deserves a say in the matter. But she knows about them both, luckily they coming to stay with us for another month, so after the wedding and all the chaos has died down.”  

Eliza nodded understandingly. “I think she’s gonna be a great big sister.” 

“Me too,” Lena said with a grin.

Without thinking about it, she subtly reached for Kara’s hands and intertwined their fingers as she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Everything had been fine. And now, she could finally relax and enjoy the rest of their weekend. 

 

* * *

 

Kara paced back and forth across her bedroom. Her phone to her ear and her hand to her forehead to try and stop the nerves that were making it feel like her head was going to explode. 

“No-- there has to be some sort of mistake, you said it would take at _least_ another month before everything was ready,” Kara said firmly. 

She sighed and threw her head back. “Winn, you can’t just drop something on this like us.” 

“No I-- yes we still-- yes it’s fine I-- we’ll see what we can do,” she bit her lip and looked up at the sound of the door closing. Lena walked in, shooting Kara a concerned glance when she saw the panic in her fiance's eyes. 

“I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later,” Kara said and hung up the phone. She sat down on her bed and leaned forward, putting her head in her hands. 

Before she could say anything, Lena sat down beside her and began rubbing soothing circles on her back. 

“Hey, what was that all about?” She asked softly. 

Kara looked up with tears in her eyes. Lena couldn’t tell if they were happy or sad, but she knew something had happened. Something big, something life-changing. 

“Winn called… there was… I don’t know,” she sighed and rubbed her collar bone. “There was a mix up with one of the foster parents, they’re license expired or something I… he wasn’t clear about it.” 

“Kara, what are you saying?”

“Jonah’s going to live with his grandma until next month when he’s supposed to come to us,” Kara rambled. “But they-- something about separating them and i- it wouldn’t work be- because they’re so attached to each other. But since they-- they aren’t technically siblings, legally, they don’t have to stay together.” 

Lena took a deep breath and nodded as she tried to get a grasp of what was going on. She put a steady hand on Kara’s shoulder to stop her so she could pause and breathe. If Kara freaked out then she would freak out and that wouldn’t do anyone any good. So they had to find a way to stay calm before they both imploded on themselves. 

“Kara, love, slow down, what’s happening?” 

“Luna doesn’t have anyone to take care of her so they’re bringing her to us.”

“What?” 

“He-- he said they’re placing her in a group home for a week but after that sh- she’s coming to live with us,” Kara said, bracing herself for Lena’s reaction. 

But Lena didn’t react. She just took a deep breath and stared at Kara blankly. “In a week?” She repeated. And Kara nodded in confirmation. 

“Luna’s coming in a week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look at the d r a m a  
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments, I love hearing what you guys think :)


	3. Waiting For Her

That couldn’t have been right. It couldn’t have. Kara must’ve been wrong, either that or Winn made a mistake or something, anything had gone wrong. It wasn’t possible, they were supposed to be getting married in two weeks. They were supposed to have a week-long kid-free honeymoon before Luna and Jonah came. It just couldn’t be real. 

Lena shook her head and bit down on the inside of her mouth. Her chest became heavy as the weight that had been lifted after their talk with Eliza fell back down, only heavier. It was pushing her down like a cinder block. And as her hands began to shake and the ground became flimsy beneath her, Lena could feel little bits of her trust that everything would be okay begin to chip away. 

Because how could it be okay? They were having a kid, a kid they wanted very much and would love with everything they had, but a kid they weren’t ready for, emotionally or physically. 

She inhaled slowly as she replayed Kara’s words in her head. Luna was coming, she was coming next week. 

“She can’t come next week,” Lena said, even though she knew it wouldn’t change anything. It didn’t matter how unprepared or how scared she was. It was happening, it was all happening and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

Kara just sighed and gave a defeated shrug. “There’s nothing we can do, it’s out of our hands.” 

Lena nodded quickly and turned around so her back was to Kara. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth and inhaled sharply. Kara had to be wrong. She _had_ to be. 

Luna couldn’t be coming, it was too early. Her room wasn’t near ready-- hell, they didn’t even have a bed yet. They hadn’t finished their braiding classes at the salon and for all Lena knew she would completely damage Luna’s hair the first time she tried to do it. It was all too soon. She and Kara weren’t even married yet, it was all wrong. 

“But it won’t be all bad,” Kara added. “In a way, this is a good thing, we’re taking her out of her bad situation and we can do our best to help as much as we can.” 

Kara’s words went in one ear and out the other. Lena couldn’t bring herself to think of how what good could come of it. All she could process was the fact that Luna was coming and she wasn’t ready and that meant they might end up traumatizing her even more than she probably already was. She was going to completely ruin this poor child. Lena couldn’t even deal with her own crap, how was she supposed to take care of a helpless toddler? 

Sure, she hadn’t managed to screw up Lori yet but it was only a matter of time. She would ruin Lori and Luna, just like she ruined herself. Just like she ruined everything. 

Lena squeezed her free hand into a fist, digging her nails into her palms. The movement, though small, didn’t go unnoticed by Kara, who stood up and walked over to her. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” she said softly. “It’s not gonna be easy but it’ll work out, just like it worked out with Lori.” 

“Lori used to hate me,” Lena’s voice broke. Her chin quivered and she clamped her jaw shut to keep herself from crying. “She hated me for almost a month, what if this one hates me too?” 

She wanted to run away, lock herself in the bathroom and completely break down. It was getting harder to breathe with every passing second and Lena was beginning to feel the little control she had left over her body slowly begin to slip away through her fingers. Whatever it was that continued to grow inside her, trapped her, making every moment, every breath, every thought, a burden. It pressed on her shoulders, making her heavy on her feet even though she felt hollow in her stomach. And before she knew it, the floor, which already felt weak, had begun to sway ever so slightly beneath her and the room surrounding her seemed just a little off. Like the walls were falling forward. Slowly but surely, getting ready to crush her and leave her a pathetic pile of fear and self-doubt. 

She stumbled backward, clumsily falling onto Kara’s old bed, where Kara sat beside her. 

“Lena, you need to breathe,” Kara said. “It’s gonna be okay, I promise it’ll work out.”

Lena nodded as she gasped for air. But it seemed to be just out of her reach. So she tried again, but with each heave, the oxygen which she’d once taken for granted seemed to slip further and further out of her grasp. The struggle made her chest ache as the voices in her head that she’d gotten so good at suppressing emerged once more to confirm all of her doubts and insecurities. And as she began to slip away from reality, she could feel herself becoming surrounded with everything she’d worked so hard at moving past. 

But did it really matter? Maybe they were right. After all, how was she supposed to take care of a four-year-old when she couldn’t even get herself under control? 

Tears burned in Lena’s eyes as she gasped for air once more. 

 _God, get it together,_ she internally scolded herself.  _Stop freaking out, you’re acting like a baby._ _There’s no reason for you to be acting like this._

“Lena, come on, try to breathe,” Kara said, her voice soft and soothing. “Like this in… out… in… out.” 

_Stop it. Stop overreacting. Stop being so dramatic. Just get it together._

Pressing her nails further into her skin, Lena let out a strained breath. She closed her eyes as she dug deeper. Tears began to spill but she didn’t care, she just needed to focus on her hand. Focus on the pain and the numbness and it would all go away. And she would be able to breathe again and think about everything rationally. 

“Lena, is it okay if I touch you?” 

Lena gave a small nod and before she knew it, Kara’s hands were on her’s, gently trying to pry open her fists. Once she got them open, Kara sighed when she saw the raw skin on Lena’s hand. She bit her lip as she looked up at Lena, who still had tears running down her cheeks. 

She placed a firm hand on Lena’s back and tried to help her even out her breathing once more. And after a few more minutes and one or two choked back sobs, Lena began to calm down. 

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Kara said as Lena’s breaths became more steady. 

“I’m sorry,” Lena cried quietly. 

“It’s alright, you don’t need to apologize.”

Lena shook her head. Her face was burning but the rest of her was freezing cold, covered with the kind of chills that would linger long after she calmed down, serving as a reminder of how weak she was. Taunting her until she found something else that would make her just as anxious and scared. And she would fall back down the rabbit hole of panic, imploding on herself once more. 

“Kara I… I’m not ready,” Lena swallowed a painful lump in her throat. She couldn’t keep crying, she needed to get it together. 

“I know, none of us are,” Kara said with a sigh. “But it’s out of our control now, so we might as well make the most of it.” 

Lena sucked in a breath and held it. She gave a small nod and closed her eyes. 

She needed to stop. She needed to stop thinking and feeling and freaking out about every little thing. This wasn’t about her, it was about Luna. And she needed to stop being so selfish and crying about the whole thing and put Luna first. 

Instinctively, Lena tried to curl her hands into a ball again. She needed to feel something other than fear, she needed to be numb again. But forgetting Kara’s hand was in her own, she ended up squeezing her girlfriends palm instead of her own. 

Kara sighed. She didn’t have to ask to know what Lena was trying to do. 

“You can’t keep doing this,” she said, gesturing their hands. 

“I know.” 

“Do you think maybe you should start going back to Dr. Jones?” Kara suggested. “This whole thing is just… it’s a lot and I-- I don’t want to see you struggling again.” 

Lena shrugged. She looked down at her lap, her cheeks heating up with shame. “I don’t know. Maybe I should.” 

“Yeah, it might feel good to talk to someone who can really help. And I’ll go with you if you need me to.” 

“Thank you.” 

Lena rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and snuggled close to her. She knew it was silly and childish, but every time she started to panic the way she just did, she wished someone could be there to hug her. It didn’t matter who, though she did have a special preference for Kara, of course. But when fear started to take over her body, sometimes all she wanted was for someone to hold her until it went away. Someone to show they were there for her and they weren’t going to leave. 

“How are you not freaking out about this?” She asked. 

Kara let out a soft chuckle. She wrapped her arm around Lena, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. “I am, but one of us needs to keep a steady head.”

Lena nodded and laughed quietly. She wiped away her remaining tears and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. “I guess that isn’t gonna be me.” 

Kara shrugged her free shoulder. “It’s okay. Trust me, I’m completely losing it on the inside.”

“Well, you’re doing a great job of keeping your cool,” Lena said with a small smile. “Luna’s gonna love you.” 

“She’s gonna love you too.”

* * *

 

Kara, Lena, and Lori left Midvale the next morning. They drove back to National City, arriving at Lena’s penthouse just before noon. 

The car ride back was filled with tension as Lori pestered her parents for answers that they refused to give. Even though they promised to tell her what was going on as soon as they got home, she wasn’t satisfied. It wasn’t until she could see Lena getting stressed and uncomfortable that she stopped, not wanting to upset her mom more than she already had. So she stayed quiet the rest of the way home. And once they were back at the apartment, Lori went straight to her room, which was where Lena found her when it was time to break the news. 

“Hey, can I talk to you about something?” She asked as she stood in the doorway, waiting for Lori to give her the okay to come in. 

Lori nodded. She was sitting on her bed, a copy of _Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief_ in hand. She set the book on her nightstand, looking up at her mom and raised a questioning eyebrow, a quirk she’d picked up from spending so much time around Lena. 

“So, I’ve got some big news,” Lena said. She closed the door and sat down on Lori’s bed beside her. 

“Is it bad?” 

Lena shook her head. “Not necessarily.” 

“What is it?” 

Lena took a deep breath. “Luna’s gonna be coming a little earlier than we expected.” 

“How early?” 

“Like… next week,” Lena confessed. 

Lori paused and drew in a breath. She folded her hands together and looked at her lap as she tried to process it all. 

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Lena said. “And I understand if you’re upset or scared and there’s nothing wrong with that. So if you wanna talk about it we--”

“What about Jonah?” 

“What about him?” 

“Is he coming too?” Lori asked and Lena shook her head. 

“No, he’s coming next month like we originally planned.” 

“He has to come too,” Lori said firmly. 

The statement shocked Lena, to put it simply. She’d expected the news to freak Lori out just like it had freaked her out. She’d at the very minimum, thought Lori would at least argue and say she wanted more time before Luna came. She never once thought Lori would ask for _both_ of them to be coming sooner, especially when she was still apprehensive about having a little sister at all. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t like the idea of it. She was just nervous about having someone so little in the house. She was scared that she would accidentally hurt Luna or something bad would happen to her. She’d expressed her fears to Kara and Lena, who had both listened to her and reassured her that nothing would happen and Luna would be just fine living with them. She’d never talked much about Jonah, Lena always assumed because he was older he was at less risk of clumsily hurting himself the way Luna could. 

“He will,” Lena reassured. “Just not right away.” 

Lori shook her head. “No, he needs to come when Luna comes.” 

“Lori that’s not up to--” 

“Mom, he _has_ to,” Lori insisted. 

Lena sighed and nodded. “I know love,” she said softly. “But it’s out of our hands, We just need to try and keep her as happy as we can until he does come. So Mama and I are gonna need you to be very nice to her, you’re gonna be like her big sister. She’s really gonna need one.” 

“She’s gonna be so scared,” Lori whispered. “She needs him here. She can’t be all alone.” 

“She’s not gonna be alone, she’ll have us.” 

Lori shook her head. It wasn’t the same. Nothing would make up for the missing familiarity Luna would crave, even if the old normal was scary and broken. It was normal and that's what she would yearn for. The same way Lori had yearned for her mom when she had first moved in with Lena. Even though subconsciously she knew living with her mom wasn’t safe, she missed her more than anything. She needed her. She needed just an ounce of familiarity to ease the pain of being thrown into a whole new world. A world that was warm and kind but terrifying just the same. 

Luna needed something to be the same, she needed her ounce of familiarity. She would need Jonah more than Lena could ever understand. 

“It won’t be the same,” Lori argued. 

Lena nodded sadly. “I know, but we’re gonna do everything we can to make everything easy for her. It’s gonna be a rough adjustment so we’re all just going to have to be very patient and calm until Jonah gets here.” 

“And there’s something else.” 

“What is it?” Lori asked nervously. 

“The new room isn’t ready yet so the two of you are going to be sharing for a little while.” 

“Oh.” 

“I know it’s not ideal,” Lena said apologetically. “But if she gets scared at night, Kara and I don’t want her to be all alone and we thought it might be nice for her to be with another kid near Jonah’s age.” 

Lori sighed. She knew there was no use in arguing. Once Lena made up her mind on something it was hard to get her to change it. So she gave a reluctant nod and forced a smile. “That’s fine.” 

And as Lena left her room, she dropped her shoulders and let out an exhausted breath. In six days Luna would be here and she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready at all. 

* * *

 

 The six days leading up to Luna’s arrival went by faster than Kara and Lena could’ve ever imagined. They spent every free minute they had buying furniture, toys, hair care products, and baby proofing the house. (Kara knew it wasn’t necessary but Lena was paranoid so she obliged.) When they weren’t assembling Luna’s bed or figuring out how the hell to strap a child's car seat into the car, they were talking to Lori and making sure she was still okay with the whole thing. 

And when the day Luna’s was going to be dropped off finally came, anticipation ate away at both Kara and Lena. Both had been on edge ever since Lena woke up at six in the morning after a restless night of tossing and turning from both of them. Unable to take it any longer, she’d gotten up and gone to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. Not long after, Kara came in too as the apprehension was becoming unbearable and she knew she needed to escape before she thought herself into a dangerous tunnel. 

“Are you ready?” She asked as Lena handed her a cup of coffee and sat beside her at the island. 

Lena shook her head. “No, I’ve been hoping once she gets here I’ll start to feel more steady.” 

Kara nodded understandingly. “I’ve kind of been doing the same thing,” she admitted. 

“Only a few more hours, then we’ll be able to breathe again.”

 

The hours leading up to when they would finally meet Luna seemed to drag on for an eternity. It was only when they heard that knock on the door that it all became real, and Lena began to wish they could’ve had just a little more time to prepare. 

She looked across the room at Kara, who was sitting on the couch, reading a book. 

“Should I get it?” She asked, all the nerves and anxiousness bubbling inside her. 

Kara nodded. She placed her book down on the coffee table and stood up, waiting for Lena to open the door. And Lena took one last deep breath before turning the knob. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I know this was awful, I hated it too. Luna was supposed to fully be introduced in this chapter but I wanted her introduction to have its own stand-alone moment so I separated them. I'm really sorry, I know you guys wanted to meet her. I just felt bad about not updating so I figured it was better to post this than nothing.


	4. One Small Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna meets Kara, Lena, and Lori.  
> Possible trigger warning- mentions of child abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is messy and I'm sorry.

Luna was tiny. 

Lena had expected her to be small from the pictures she’d seen, but Luna was tiny. Itty bitty, like a little china doll. 

If she looked hard enough, Lena could see Luna’s ribs poking through her white tank top. Her small hands gripped a ratty old stuffed bunny as if it were a lifeline and her big timid eyes took up half her face, reminding Lena of a cartoon lamb. If she wanted to, Lena was sure she could pick Luna up with one arm and throw her over her shoulder, that’s how small she was. 

When the door opened and she saw the little girl hiding behind Winn’s legs, Lena could’ve crumbled into a pile of broken sobs on the floor at the sight. Luna was just so tiny, so helpless. And it hurt to think about all the reasons someone as innocent and young as she was could appear so sad and so scared.

All Lena wanted was to wrap her in her arms and tell her it would all be okay. But the way Luna held her stuffed bunny close to her chest and how her hands shook ever so slightly made it incredibly obvious how uncomfortable she was. 

It was the same way she had stood all those years ago with her teddy bear outside the Luthor manor with her social worker, waiting to meet Lillian. Seeing Luna, all she could see was herself and how terrified she had been as she waited to meet her new mother. Even being so young, she’d known she had a reason to be worried and soon enough she’d learned she should have trusted her gut and not tried so hard to find comfort in the Luthor’s. Knowing Luna was already scared of her the way she had been so scared of Lillian made Lena want to throw up. 

So she knelt down beside her the way she wished someone had done for her and offered a gentle smile. 

“Hey,” she said softly. “I’m Lena, do you want to come inside?” 

Luna didn’t respond. She just hugged her bunny closer and looked down at her shoes. 

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to get her to talk since we met, no one has,” Winn interrupted. “She was in a Spanish speaking household before she was put in the system so we aren’t sure if she knows any English.” 

He stepped aside, exposing Luna to the rest of the apartment. At the movement, Lena could hear her let out a fearful gasp when she saw the big open space in front of her. 

She held out her hand for her to take and Luna wrapped her little fist around one of Lena’s fingers. She let Lena slowly walk her into the penthouse, freezing when she saw Kara.

“It’s alright, this is Kara, she’s not gonna hurt you,” Lena said as Luna tightened her grip on her finger. 

Kara smiled, she waved at Luna, who backed behind Lena the same way she had done with Winn. And though the action was small, Kara couldn’t help the pain in her chest that it caused. She knew Luna didn’t mean anything by it. It just hurt knowing that in a matter of seconds she’d already attached herself to Lena and seemed to be afraid of her. But she let it go when she remembered how she’d latched on to Eliza far before she became comfortable with Jeremiah. It would just take some time. Eventually, Luna would come around.

“So I have some forms I’m gonna need you guys to fill out, just legal documents confirming that she’s now in your care,” Winn said, pulling a thin folder out of his bag. 

Lena stood up and turned to him, but Kara turned to Winn and smiled before Lena could get a word out. “I can sign first so Lena can show her around, I don’t want to overwhelm her.” 

Lena grinned and nodded. “Thank you, that would be great.” She turned back to Luna, kneeling down so they were the same height once more. 

“Do you wanna see your room?” She asked. 

Luna rocked back and forth on her heels. She looked down at her shoes, putting the tip of her bunnies ear in her mouth. She reached out so she could hold Lena’s hand again, and Lena took it without any hesitation. 

“I can show you all your new toys and clothes, would you like that?” 

Luna shrugged. She chewed on the ear of her bunny as she contemplated it and eventually looked up at Lena. She gave a small smile as if to say yes and Lena returned the grin as she stood up and walked Luna to her and Lori’s room. 

She opened the door, and Luna took an apprehensive step inside. An older girl was sitting at her desk, which was next to the colorful wooden dollhouse. Surrounding it were dolls with different sparkly dresses and cars and horses. Luna couldn’t help but jump up and down at the sight, which was so exciting that she couldn’t even be bothered to look at the rest of the room. She looked up at Lena as if to ask if she could play, and Lena nodded with a smile. 

“Lori, this is Luna, you should show her all your dolls,” Lena said to the older girl. 

Just as Lori was about to say something, Kara poked her head in the doorway. “Hey, Lena, Winn needs to talk to us.” 

Lena looked down at Lori, smiling at her once more. “Okay, I’ll be right back, you girls play nice.” 

When Kara and Lena were gone, Luna looked up at Lori, waiting for instruction. 

Lori sat down on her knees beside Luna and picked up one of the dolls. 

“This is Lexie,” she said and handed her to Luna. “She’s a doctor, that’s why she has a lab coat. I named her Lexie for alliteration.” 

Luna nodded as if she understood what Lori meant. She sat down next to her set her bunny on the ground so she could brush the doll's hair with her fingers. 

“Lexie’s a surgeon,” Lori added. “She’s my favorite doll because she’s the smartest _and_ the prettiest.” 

“I like your bunny,” Lori said when she noticed the stuffed animal. “I have a puppy that I got when I was adopted, do you think they could be friends?” 

Luna smiled and nodded again. She looked around the rest of the room, her eyes landing on a small child-sized bed in the right-hand corner. 

“Oh, that’s your bed,” Lori said. She stood up and gestured for Luna to follow as she showed her around. 

“This is your dresser,” she said, placing her hand on the white wardrobe. “My moms got you a bunch of new clothes because they weren’t sure how much you would have. When I came all my clothes were really gross so we had to buy new ones anyway.” 

“And you can play with all the stuffed animals on it too. Some of them used to be mine but I don’t sleep with them anymore, except for the puppy,” Lori continued. 

She picked up a small stuffed tiger from off the top of the dresser and handed it to Luna. “This one was my favorite because it used to belong to my mom when she was a kid.” 

Luna extended her arms and turned her two stuffed animals to face each other as if she were introducing them. She looked up at Lori and grinned. She couldn’t wait for Jonah to see all this, he was going to love it.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Luna, it’s time to go to bed.”

Luckily for Kara, Luna was already in her pajamas; a pink-footed onesie with white polka dots, her hair was tucked into a Minnie mouse bonnet. Lena had given her a bath and helped her brush her teeth. All Kara had to do was get her into bed, which she assumed shouldn’t be too hard. After the long day they’d had, she was sure Luna would be exhausted. 

But Luna shook her head. 

“I know you’re having fun with the dolls but they’ll still be here in the morning,” Kara said and sat down beside her, offering a small smile. “And it’ll be much more fun to play when you’re not tired.” 

Luna shook her head again. 

“I know you want to keep playing but it’s getting late, you want to be nice and well rested for tomorrow.” 

“You can even pick out a book for me to read to you before you go to sleep and I can sing you a song. And we don’t even have to turn off the lights if you don’t want to,” Kara added. 

Luna grunted and threw her doll on the ground. She kicked her foot angrily and shook her head once more. She couldn’t go to bed yet, not without Jonah. He was supposed to sneak into the kitchen and steal her a glass of milk in her favorite blue sippy cup then tell her a story and tuck her in. She couldn’t sleep until he was here, she just couldn’t. 

“How about this, you can have a cookie while I read to you,” Kara offered. She knew she probably shouldn’t be bribing her child, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And besides, it was only Luna’s first night. One cookie and a little bribe wouldn’t do any harm. 

But clearly, she didn’t like the offer as Luna stood up and folded her arms over her chest. She stomped her foot and frowned at Kara. She was the adult, why couldn’t she see it was all wrong? 

“Do you not want to read?” 

Kara drew in a breath and bit her lip. It was only a matter of seconds before Luna’s pouting turned into tears and tears would turn into a tantrum. 

She wished she could ask Lena to help get the situation under control, but Lena was in the other room, calling Winn and trying to make arrangements for Jonah to come sooner. And Kara knew that conversation was far too important to interrupt. So it was up to her to get their four-year-old into bed, all alone. 

If only Luna would talk to her, tell her what she wanted, it would be so much easier. 

“Do you want to tuck your bunny in so you can show me how you’d like to get ready for bed?” Kara suggested. Maybe if Luna could show her without having to speak, she would know how to help her. 

A single tear fell and Luna let out a whine. Kara’s heart rate sped up at the sight. If she didn’t do something soon, things were only going to escalate. And she wasn’t sure if she could handle a tantrum on her own.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Kara said softly. “We don’t have to do that.” 

Luna picked up her bunny from off the ground and hugged it close to her chest. She scrunched up her face and stomped her foot again. She just wanted Kara to see what she wanted. Why couldn’t she see it? 

She let out a wail as tears began to fall freely down her cheeks. She screamed and turned around so her back was to Kara. 

“Luna we--”

Luna screamed again, only this one was louder and followed with heavy, broken sobs. She cried as she stomped her foot as harshly as she could three more times. 

“Do you want me to go?” Kara asked, her voice quiet and calm. 

Luna nodded and Kara let out a sigh. 

“Okay,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll be back when you’ve calmed down.” 

When Kara left Luna’s room, she found Lena sitting in the living room with her knees pulled up into her chest. She’d changed into Kara’s old National City University hoodie and a pair of black sweats and fuzzy socks. 

“Hey,” she said with a soft smile once she noticed Kara’s presence. “I hope you don’t mind, Lori’s in our room reading. I think she needed a break from everything.” 

Kara nodded and took a seat beside her fiance, draping her arm over Lena’s shoulder and pulling her close. She rested her head atop Lena’s, taking a long, deep breath. 

“I could use one of those too,” she admitted. 

“Is everything okay?” 

Kara sighed and closed her eyes. “Luna’s in her room throwing a fit. Me being there was only making it worse.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena said and kissed Kara lazily. “She’ll warm up to you, I’m sure she would’ve done the same thing if it were me in there instead of you.” 

“I know. And her missing Jonah can’t be helping,” Kara added. “Did you get anything out of Winn?” 

Lena shrugged. “Not much. Just that Jonah’s still with his grandma. They said the soonest they can bring him by is next week but I… I don’t know if she can wait that long.” 

Before she could stop herself, Lena felt her eyes fill with tears at Kara’s words. She bit her lip and buried her face in Kara’s neck. Thinking about Luna being away from Jonah was getting to be far too much for her to handle. It just reminded her of what it felt like when she’d first moved away from her mom. And knowing that Luna’s pain only made Lena think of her own made Lena hate herself even more for being so selfish. 

Kara, on the other hand, couldn’t be sure if it was something she’d done or said to upset her, so she just wrapped her free arm around Lena and hugged her tightly. She could feel her shirt getting damp with tears as Lena let out a quiet sob. 

“I’m sorry,” she choked out.

“It’s okay,” Kara said softly. “What’s wrong?”

Lena took a minute before looking up at Kara and wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. 

She laid her head on Kara’s shoulder and let out a shaky breath. “It’s just been a lot,” she said; swallowing the lump in her throat.

Kara nodded understandingly. “Yeah, but you’ve been doing really well.” 

Lena gave a small smile. “Thanks, Luna just reminds me of myself and it… it’s kind of hard I guess. But I’ll be okay.” 

She refrained from saying anything about how in every spare second of her time, she’d been flooded with memories of Lillian and Lex. Images she’d spent so long trying to suppress, things she’d tried to convince herself never happened. Because if she ignored it, then maybe it wouldn’t be real. Or at least, that’s what she’d try to tell herself. 

But seeing Luna today, it all came rushing back, running her over like a truck. And seeing the little girl that had been the same age as she was when she’d been adopted, so scared and small, all Lena could see herself and how from the minute she’d arrived at the Luthor household, every shred of security and safety and been ripped away from her. It killed her to know if she screwed this up she’d damage Luna the same way the Luthor’s did to her. 

She wasn’t sure what was worse; replaying her childhood in her head on a loop or knowing she possessed the potential to abuse Luna the exact same way. It just all hurt so much and was becoming too much to keep inside, no matter how hard Lena tried to box everything up. 

But nevertheless, that didn’t stop her from trying. She looked up at Kara and forced a smile as she wiped away her fresh tears. 

“Hey, I think Luna quieted down, you should go check on her,” she said. 

Kara nodded. “I will, are you okay?” 

“I’ll be fine,” Lena said, giving Kara a quick peck on the lips. “Now go check on our kid.” 

* * *

 

Lena sat on the couch, computer on her lap and a glass of wine in front of her on the coffee table. She ran her hand through her hair as she let out a sigh. Kara had already gone to bed. She was too tired to wait up for her, which Lena understood. Lena wished more than anything she could curl up in bed beside Kara and drift off into a peaceful, well-earned sleep. But even though she was exhausted, she still had a company to run. And nothing would ever get done if she didn’t stay on top of things. So it was up to her to make sure nothing went wrong in her few moments alone. 

Lena groaned as she shut her laptop. She’d been trying to update her spreadsheets and respond to emails for at least the past forty-five minutes but nothing was getting done. She couldn’t be sure what time it was, but she knew that by this hour of the night, it was pointless to keep trying. 

She leaned forward, setting her laptop on the coffee table and reached for her wine. As she looked up, her breath caught in her throat when she saw Luna standing just a few feet away from her. 

She was holding her bunny under her chin and through the darkness, Lena could see the corners of her lips pulled downwards into a frown. Silent tears spilled over her cheeks, falling onto her pajamas. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Lena asked softly. She set her wine down, unsure of if she should go to the child or wait for Luna to come to her. 

“Did you have a bad dream?” 

Luna nodded. She ran over to Lena, crawling up on to her lap and cuddling up against her. Lena wrapped her arms around her, hugging her close and rubbing soothing patterns on her back. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “You’re okay, I got you.” 

Luna hid her face in the fabric of Lena’s shirt. She reached up, wrapping her arm around Lena’s neck and hugging her as tightly as she could. 

“Do you miss Jonah?”  

Luna nodded against Lena’s chest and cried quietly. 

“I know, it’s gonna be okay. He’s gonna be here soon, I promise,” she consoled. 

Luna sniffled and looked up at Lena with eyes the size of saucers. She let out a yawn, her nose scrunched up as she rubbed her wide eyes. She rested her head back against Lena’s chest and used her little fists to wipe away her tears. 

“Do you think you’re ready to go back to bed?” Lena asked and Luna just shrugged. 

“You wanna come sleep with Kara and I?” 

Luna nodded and gave a small smile. She squeezed her bunny close to her as she stuck two fingers in her mouth. 

“Okay, let's go, Lulu,” Lena said as she stood up. She carried Luna to her room, carefully closing the door as quietly as she could so she wouldn’t wake Kara. 

But the effort was pointless as Kara slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes at the noise. She groaned and looked around, trying to remember where she was and what was going on. 

“Hey, Luna’s gonna stay with us tonight,” Lena explained as she sat down on the bed, Luna still curled up safely in her arms.

“Oh, okay,” Kara said with a yawn. “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, she’s just having a little bit of a rough first night. She’s missing Jonah,” Lena said with a sad smile. She carefully set Luna down on the bed and the toddler crawled towards Kara, who lifted the blankets as she flopped down onto her back. 

Once she was tucked in beside Kara, Lena climbed in beside them, pulling the blankets up to her chest. She looked over at Luna to ask if she was okay, but she had already fallen asleep and was using her stuffed bunny as a pillow. Lena smiled to herself, glancing over at Kara, who had also fallen back asleep beside her. Having the three of them together just felt so right. 

Maybe Luna coming early wasn’t such a terrible thing after all. 

* * *

 

“What do you mean? You said that--” Kara groaned and brought her hand up to her forehead as she paced back and forth across the kitchen. 

“Yes, you said you would try so why isn’t anything happening?” She had to keep from yelling into the phone so she wouldn’t wake Luna or Lori, who were still fast asleep. 

“No, I know that-- but you-- no-- you said it yourself, they need to be kept together. Luna needs him here she-- no there hasn’t been but I--” Kara bit her lip as she walked back over to the stove and saw the pancakes she’d been making were burning. 

She huffed in frustration, threw them into the trash, and poured more batter onto the pan. 

“I know they aren’t technically siblings but he’s the closest thing Luna has to family right now. And I’m sure he’s having just as hard of a time being apart from her as she is from him.” 

“Okay, thank you, bye,” Kara sighed as she hung up the phone and set it down on the kitchen countertop. She looked over at Lena, who was sitting at the island, filling out the last of the paperwork that they had to mail to Winn before the end of the day. 

“What did he say?” Lena asked, looking up from her files. 

“He says he can’t bring Jonah over yet,” Kara said begrudgingly. “Since they’re not related and there hasn’t been an emergency he’s too busy with the other kids that don’t have placements yet to sort out Jonah’s situation.” 

Lena rested an elbow on the countertop and put her head in her hand. She drummed her fingers against the cool marble and closed her eyes. “Did you tell him how upset she got last night?” 

Kara nodded and plopped down on the stool besides Lena. “Yeah, but unless there’s an emergency he says there’s really nothing he--” 

She paused at the sound of her phone buzzing loudly. She quickly answered it and held it to her ear, her eyes widening as the person on the other line spoke. 

“Yes-- yes, that’s great! Yes, I can do that, give me a second.” she set her phone down at looked back at Lena, grinning ear to ear. 

“We can have Jonah tomorrow if I pick him up myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I'm sorry about this chapter. It was sloppy. On the bright side, the next chapter is Jonah's introduction!  
> Please let me know what you think though :)


	5. Jonah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Lena, our son's a shoplifter."  
> Kara and Lena meet Jonah!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wedding isn't this chapter, but it's coming soon. I'm really sorry! It just didn't work with this one.  
> Trigger warning- mentions of child abuse

“Are you ready to go in?” 

Jonah shrugged. 

“Are you nervous?” Kara asked. Jonah and she had been talking the entire car ride back from his grandma's house about legos, Star Wars, superhero movies and why pepperoni was clearly the most superior pizza topping ever. They’d smiled and laughed together for the whole two and a half hours it took to get back to National City. In fact, Kara hadn’t seen Jonah look anything less than excited before they reached the apartment. 

“A little,” he admitted. “Is Luna there? Winn said she would be here.” 

Kara nodded with a grin. “Yeah, she’s really thrilled to see you again.” 

Jonah gave a small smile. He rocked back and forth on his heels and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. Everything was so close to being good again, he didn’t want it to all disappear at the last second like it did last time. 

“And… we can still have pizza and po-- what are they again?” He asked hesitantly. 

“Potstickers, you’re gonna love them,” Kara corrected and grinned. “Now, how do you feel about going inside?” 

Jonah shrugged again. “You promise Lena’s gonna like me?” 

“She’s gonna love you, I promise.”

Jonah nodded slowly and scratched his head as he took one last moment to prepare himself. “I think I’m ready,” he said with as much confidence as he could muster up. 

They both took a simultaneous deep breath as Kara unlocked the door and pushed it open. 

“We’re home,” she called out as they walked inside. She turned to Jonah and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, Lena and Lori are gonna love you.” 

Jonah nodded as he took a step forward and looked around the apartment. It was giant, without a doubt bigger than any of the foster homes he’d ever lived in. It was like stepping onto a movie set, everything seemed to be catered exactly to the people living there. And even though it was so big, it seemed so inviting he couldn’t help but want to run inside and play with the remote control truck on the coffee table. It was like Christmas morning, only better. 

There was a pink blanket draped over the sofa and a stuffed tiger on the floor beside it. The TV was on, playing some Disney show that Jonah remembered watching at one of his old homes. And in the kitchen, was a tall dark-haired woman; Lena, he assumed, holding Luna on her hip. 

At the sound of Kara’s voice, Lena set her down. And it only took a second before Luna had charged towards him. 

She ran through the living room as fast as she possibly could and threw herself on top of him, the impact so much that Jonah stumbled backward and almost fell over. Somehow, he caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Luna squeezed the fabric of his shirt in her little fingers, holding onto him as fiercely as she could. She hid her face in his neck as he carried her into the living room.  

“I missed you so much, Lulu,” he said. 

Luna nodded against him, she didn’t want to let go. He was finally here, to her young mind it felt like she’d been waiting for years.

 “New mommies?” She whispered. 

“Kind of,” Jonah said and sat down on the couch, Luna’s weight just a little too much for a nine-year-old to hold onto. 

“Is that your truck?” He asked; the shiny new toy catching his attention once more. 

Luna shook her head and pointed to Lori, who was hovering in her doorway, watching Jonah and Luna cautiously. 

“Do you want me to show you how to work it?” She asked, hesitantly taking a step forward. 

Jonah nodded and Lori jogged over to them. She sat down on her knees by the coffee table so she could show Jonah everything he needed to know. And as the three began to play together harmoniously, Lena walked over to Kara and snaked her arm around her waist, giving her hand a squeeze. She rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and let out a satisfied breath. “He’s home,” she whispered. 

Kara nodded, sneaking in a kiss when she knew none of the kids were looking. Hopefully, now, everything would start to calm down and begin to feel normal again. Even if they had no idea what the new normal was going to be. 

* * *

 

Kara nervously clasped her hands together as she watched Jonah walk around his new room for the first time. He made sure to slowly and carefully take everything in as if it might vanish into thin air if he were to look away too fast. It was like he was standing in something out of a dream, it just had to be too good to be true. There had to be some kind of a catch, there always was. And it wasn’t just because he had so much new stuff; someone had really gone to the trouble of putting this all together for him. Two people he didn’t even know and yet they were treating him like this was exactly where he belonged. 

Jonah ran his fingers over the surface of his desk and held himself back from picking up the new stuffed koala on his bed. He didn’t know how much he was allowed to touch and he didn’t want to get in trouble already, not with this new family who seemed to care so much. 

“Oh, that’s kind of a tradition,” Kara said when she caught him looking at it. “Lori and Luna both got special stuffed animals when they moved in too. Lena thought it would help you guys feel more at home. Do you like it?” 

Jonah nodded and smiled. “What did Luna get?” 

“A dolphin. Lori got a puppy.” 

“Can I sit down?” Jonah asked, pointing to his bed. 

“Of course.” 

He climbed up on top of the covers, crawling over to the koala so he could hold it in his lap. He looked around once more then turned his focus back to Kara. He wanted to say something, thank her for everything. But he couldn’t seem to get the words out, no matter how badly he wanted to. So instead, he sat watching her and hoping she would pick up on his uneasiness. 

And luckily, soon enough, she did. 

“I know it can be a lot,” she began. “Moving into a house that isn’t your own.” 

Jonah nodded. It was still surreal, like an out of body experience. He couldn’t be sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. 

“And it’s okay if you’re scared or feel weird about the whole thing. I know being here is really new so if you get homesick, or you miss your parents, Lena and I are here for whatever you need.” 

“Thanks,” Jonah said with a smile. 

“It’s no problem at all.”

* * *

 

“Good morning,” Kara said as she leaned over the kitchen island to kiss Lena, who was sitting with her laptop trying to catch up on her work. She finally felt awake for the first time since she’d found out Luna was going to be coming early. It had been a few nights since Jonah moved in and things were finally starting to settle down. Luna was still spending the night with her and Lena, but they had been able to make it through the night with no tantrums and no tears, which was huge. It was like everything was finally falling into place. 

“Good morning,” Lena grinned as she kissed Kara back. 

She stood up and lazily walked over to her before wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck and pulling her close. 

“Another week and we’ll be married,” she said giddily. 

Kara nodded, placing a kiss on Lena’s forehead. “We almost there.”

“And you know what would make me the happiest almost-wife in the world?” Lena smiled cheekily. 

“What?” Kara gave a small groan, knowing all too well Lena was getting ready to load some undesirable task on her.

“If you took the kids to the grocery store so I could finish up on some work,” Lena said. She looked at her pleadingly in a way that Kara just couldn’t say no to. 

 _“Please,_ we’re all out of food. I caught Luna trying to eat a tomato yesterday because she thought it was an apple, we _need_ groceries,” Lena took Kara’s hands in her eyes and looked at her with big eyes. “Also, I thought you could show Jonah around the neighborhood.”

Kara sighed. “Fine, only because I love you. And because I can’t really say no to you.” 

 

 Now, nobody ever said taking three kids to the grocery store would be easy. Especially on a Sunday morning when it was most crowded. But Kara was sure she could handle it. Maybe she was a little cocky. But she was sure it couldn’t be too hard. After all, she was great at handling them and she prided herself on her ability to keep all three of them under control at once.

And as Kara was sure it would, everything had started out well. Luna sat in the cart, entertaining herself with her stuffed bunny while Lori and Jonah walked just behind them, chatting about something quietly while Lori showed him a game on her tablet. Kara had almost wanted to send Lena a picture with a smug _see how easy this whole parenting thing is?_ However, the moment was short-lived as they passed the snack aisle to get to the frozen foods. 

Luna bounced up in her seat excitedly and pointed to a box of Pop-Tarts with an eager look on her face. She stared at Kara with a big smile and pointed again, making big puppy dog eyes that were impossible to say no to. But Kara knew if she came back with something so unhealthy, Lena would not be happy. So she gave a small smile and shook her head. But clearly, Luna didn’t want to accept her answer, as she began kicking her legs against the cart and threw herself forward so she could reach one of the boxes. 

“I’m sorry honey, Lena doesn’t want us bringing home anything too sugary,” Kara said and smiled apologetically once more. 

But her words flew right over Luna’s head, and the toddler continued to whine while she made grabbing motions with her fists. 

“Not today, Lulu,” Kara said with a sigh. “It’s okay though, we’re getting other good stuff.” 

However, by the time they’d passed the treats and were in the frozen food section, Luna let out an ear-splitting scream. She looked up as she shrieked and angrily slammed her hands against the carts handle. 

Kara inhaled sharply, the sound scaring the living daylights out of her. _That escalated quickly._ Luna may not talk, but boy could she scream. Luckily though, Jonah seemed to sort of know what to do, as he ran to Kara’s side and gave Luna a hug. 

“Lulu, do you want to walk on the ground with me?” He suggested. 

But the offer only made Luna scream louder. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kara whispered and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. “It’s okay, you wanna walk with Jonah?” 

Luna shook her head and let out a heavy sob as her face turned bright red and tears began to fall down her cheeks. She kicked her legs against the cart even harder. Passerbys began turning heads and whispering to their spouses. All the attention combined with the ever-growing tantrum was not mixing nicely and before she knew it, Kara could see Lori getting worked up too. 

“Mama, get her to stop, people are staring,” she whispered angrily. 

“Lulu, you wanna play with bunny?” Kara offered and held up the little girls stuffed animal for her. When Luna took it from her, Kara thought maybe the crisis was averted. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. Luna screamed again as she hurled the bunny across the aisle. The stuffed animal ended up hitting an elderly man with a cane, who scowled at Kara and her mess. 

Things only seemed to get worse once Lori realized her bunny was gone. She paused for a minute, looked at her empty hands, then let out a heart-wrenching wail. She sobbed as she pounded her fists against the sides of the cart and continued to kick her legs. And as she let out one more wail, she reached for her bunny.

Luckily for Kara, Jonah ran to go get it and apologized to the man before running back to his sister and handing her the stuffed animal. 

“Mama, just buy her the stupid Pop-Tarts,” Lori groaned. 

“No, if I give in it’ll teach her this kind of behavior is acceptable,” Kara said firmly, even though she _really_ wanted to admit her defeat. At this point, she would do anything to get Luna to stop crying and kicking and screaming. In all honesty, the only thing stopping her from letting Luna have her way was knowing if she came back with something that sugary, Lena would give her the look that said, _really Kara?_ And maybe that wasn’t a valid reason but she needed to prove to Lena and herself she could keep her kids under control. 

Kara reached her arms out and picked Luna up out of the cart. As soon as she did, the toddler stopped kicking, but she only cried louder. Kara took a deep breath and took Luna into a corner, leaving Lori and Jonah in the middle of the aisle. She could hear Lori make another complaint but she ignored it. Instead, she set Luna down on the ground and wiped away her tears. 

“Lu, you’re not gonna get what you want by crying,” she said as calmly as she could. 

Luna stomped her foot angrily but sat down. She folded her arms the way she’d seen Lori do earlier and pouted. She looked down at the ground, her cheeks still bright red, tears still falling freely. 

Sighing, Kara sat down beside her, not caring who was watching. They’d already caused a scene, them sitting in a corner together couldn’t be any more embarrassing than Luna chucking her stuffed bunny at an old man. 

“Lena doesn’t want you guys eating stuff that junky, okay?” Kara said softly. 

Luna let out a whine, but her cries were beginning to quiet down. 

“But you don’t need to cry, we’re gonna get stuff you like,” Kara added. “And you can help me put all the groceries in the cart, how does that sound?” 

Luna shrugged. 

“Or you can walk with Jonah and Lori, would you like that?” 

Luna looked up at Kara. Her face was flushed pink and covered in a disgusting mixture of snot and tears. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes were red from crying so much. But she had stopped screaming and she was no longer causing a scene, so Kara took it as a win. 

Luna sniffled and wiped her eyes with her fists before lifting her arms up. 

“You want me to pick you up?” 

A nod. 

Kara released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in as she lifted Luna in her arms and wiped her face off with a tissue. Almost instantly, Luna rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and pointed to one of the frozen pizzas. And Kara gladly let her take it out of the freezer and put it in the cart, secretly proud of herself for diffusing the situation the way she had (even if she was too humiliated to ever shop there again). She had ended the crisis. And for now, that was all that mattered. However, it didn’t take long after they got home for Kara to find a box of s'mores Pop-Tarts stuffed into Jonah’s jacket pocket. And she wasn’t quite sure what to say when Lena found her in the kitchen, guiltily holding them in front of her, trying to figure out what to do or say. So she just looked up at her fiance and gave a small chuckle. 

“Lena, our son’s a shoplifter.” She said bluntly. 

“What?” 

Kara shrugged as she set the box down onto the island, which was covered in bags full of groceries. 

“Luna had a meltdown at the store because I wouldn’t get her these Pop-Tarts, I think Jonah stole them for her,” she explained. “I was gonna go talk to him about it later. I’m sure he didn’t mean to do anything wrong, he probably just didn’t know any better.” 

Lena’s nodded sadly at the statement. Hearing about it reminded her of Lori, and how when she first moved in she’d hid food in every corner of her room for fear that one day Lena would run out and she would be hungry again. She’d been so small and so scared, only a few months older than Jonah. It hurt knowing that he could’ve been thinking the same thing. 

“Do you mind if I do it?” Lena asked. “It’s just… I had a similar conversation with Lori last year and it’s not a very easy talk to have.” 

“Sure,” Kara said with a shrug. “I have to unpack the rest of these anyway.”

She handed Lena the box, which Lena took when she knocked on Jonah’s door, ready to have a conversation with him that would be about as fun as one of her weekly board meetings. 

Lena entered the room to Jonah sitting on his knees beside his dresser, going through his new clothes. He’d been through them before with Kara, but having so many new things was still so overwhelming. It just helped to look and remind himself that they hadn’t disappeared overnight. 

“Hey buddy, can I talk to you about something?” Lena asked and carefully closed the door behind her. 

Jonah nodded, folding up the t-shirt in his lap and placing it back in his top drawer. “Am I in trouble?” He stood up and sat down on the edge of his bed. 

“No, of course not,” Lena reassured. 

“Am I leaving already? Is Luna leaving?” 

Lena shook her head. “No, nobody’s going anywhere, I promise,” she said with a gentle smile. “Kara found a box of Pop-Tarts in your pocket. I’m not mad, I just wanted to know why you took them.” 

Jonah looked down at his lap and began to play with his thumbs. He gave a small shrug and bit down on the inside of his mouth. Lena was sure to hate him now. 

Already there were tears in his eyes that he knew would soon spill. He was going to be in a world of trouble, even if Lena said he wasn’t. She was going to yell at him and start to hate him, just like his last foster mom did. She’d tell him if he was gonna steal food, he didn’t deserve to eat, then slam the door because she was too tired of seeing his face. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Lena said softly. She knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his knee. “You’re not in any trouble, I promise.” 

“I was scared,” Jonah started to cry. 

Lena nodded understandingly. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay, I’m not angry,” Lena said. She took Jonah’s hand in hers and traced soothing patterns on his palm with the pad of her thumb.  

“I thought that Kara was gonna be mad tha-- that Luna cried a-- and not let us eat.” Jonah cried. He pulled away from Lena and crawled onto his bed, burying his face in the pillow. He couldn’t bear to see Lena’s face, sure she said she wasn’t mad now but how could he know she wasn't lying? He’d stolen from a store, it only made sense that she would be angry. He’d been there less than a week and already he was messing things up. It wouldn’t be surprising for her to try and send him away. 

“Kara’s not mad, and we would never do that, okay?” Lena kept herself from walking over to him. She knew she would only make things worse if she got too close, it had been the same with Lori. 

“For as long as you’re here, we will always have food. You never need to worry about being hungry or not being allowed to eat,” she tried to console him. “I know it’s scary and hard to get used to, but you’re safe here, no matter what.” 

Jonah mumbled something that was muffled by his pillow. But after a few minutes of silence, he lifted his head and slowly sat up. He looked over at Lena, his face stained with dried tears, his cheeks bright red. He wiped his eyes and sniffled before giving another quiet apology. 

“It’s okay,” Lena said once more. She cautiously got up and moved over to him, sitting on the bed beside them but keeping a comfortable distance between the two. “Next time you just need to tell us what’s wrong instead of taking things.”

Jonah nodded and sniffed again. “You’re not gonna make me go back to my grandmas? I don’t… I don’t like it there… she’s mean.” 

Lena shook her head. “No, we’re not sending you anywhere.” 

“Promise?” 

“I promise,” Lena reassured him. “I just wanted to make sure you knew why what you did was wrong, you’re not in trouble. And now you know better so you won’t do it again, right?” 

Jonah nodded again. 

Lena drew in a breath before looking over at him and smiling sadly. “If you ever need anything, Kara and I are here for you. I know it’s a tough transition but I assure you, we don’t bite,” she said with a chuckle. 

Jonah smiled. “You guys are nice,” he said quietly. “I like it here.” 

“I’m glad,” Lena said with a grin. “Now, next time you want something, what are you gonna do?” 

“Ask you or Kara?” 

Lena nodded and held up her hand for a high five, which Jonah gladly gave her. 

“Yeah, can I give you a hug.” 

Jonah nodded and scootched over to Lena. He leaned into her, wrapping his arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. Lena pulled him close and released a breath as he rested his head against her chest. She gently patted his back and gave him a squeeze, placing a quick kiss on the top of his head. 

“I don’t wanna leave here,” Jonah mumbled into her shirt. 

“I want you here too,” Lena said softly. “And we're gonna do everything we can to make sure you can stay for as long as possible.” 

She hugged him a little tighter and rested her head on top of Jonah’s. She wasn’t sure how she knew so soon, but there was something inside her telling her this was her son. And she had to keep him with her and Kara. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof this story is messy, if there are any mistakes please let me know.  
> But I'm messy so it makes sense. Also, I'm sorry this took so long, shits been happening.


	6. The Things They Say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is a plot??? Sorry, I don't know her.   
> Also sorry to disappoint, this isn't the wedding chapter either, but it is coming!

Kara sat in bed, covers over her legs with her computer on her lap. A bit of sunshine shone in through the white curtains, making the dim room just bright enough for her to make out the two sleeping faces beside her. She smiled at the sight, taking in a minute to watch Lena and Luna before the rest of the penthouse woke up and the peaceful morning silence was disrupted by the inevitable chaos of their three children. 

She knew eventually, of course, they would have to start making sure Luna was able to spend the night in her own room, but for now, it was nice. To Kara, there was no better feeling than waking up before anyone else and seeing Lena and Luna beside her. Especially on a morning like this when she needed to go over the final details for the wedding with no disruptions. 

When Luna eventually did stir beside her, Kara closed her laptop and set it on the bedside table, waiting for her to wake up fully.

“Hey,” she said softly so she wouldn’t wake Lena up. Kara smiled as Luna sat up and scrunched up her face while she rubbed her eyes. “You want me to make you some breakfast?” 

Luna nodded but didn’t look up. 

Kara climbed out of bed, waiting for Luna to do the same. And they walked side by side into the kitchen, Luna followed Kara around everywhere. Even as she got eggs and fresh fruit out of the fridge and turned on the stove to start cooking, Luna was right at her heel. And it didn’t take long before Lori and Jonah came wandering out of their rooms, looking very tired and disoriented. They took their seats at the island and Lori groaned as she put her head in her hands, keeping her eyes up so she could watch Kara cook. 

“So, Lena has to take Luna to the doctor this morning which means it’s just gonna be us three today. We could go out and do something fun if you’d like.” Kara suggested. 

“Why does Luna have to go to the doctor?” Jonah asked; ignoring Kara’s initial question. 

“It’s just a check-up, she’s not sick or anything,” Kara explained. “And we’re doing some evaluations to see if we should put her in speech therapy or if she’s gonna need extra help when she starts pre-school.” 

“Am I gonna have to go?” 

“Yeah, but we’re gonna do that a little later. Luna’s just going first because she can’t tell us what she needs so Lena and I want to be sure that she’s okay,” Kara clarified. “But you don’t need to be worried or anything, the doctor’s very nice and I think you both are gonna like her.” 

Before Jonah could say anything else, Lena came walking into the kitchen. She glanced over at Luna, who was now sitting over by the couch, having gotten bored of watching Kara. She was in her own little world, stacking the blocks she’d left out from the night before into a tower. Lena smiled at her before making her way over to Kara and stealing a quick kiss, which got a disgusted look from Lori. 

“Good morning, love,” Lena said, ignoring the grossed-out look they were getting from Lori. 

“Morning.” 

“Kara’s making breakfast,” Jonah said. 

“Oh?” Lena raised an eyebrow. “Well, let's hope she doesn’t burn the apartment down.” 

Kara spun around, shooting an offended glare at Lena. “Hey, that was one time and I got the fire out in like two seconds.” 

Lori giggled and shook her head. “No, you didn’t.” 

“I’m sorry, Kara, but Lori’s right,” Lena said with a chuckle. “We all could’ve  _ died. _ ”

“When did you start a fire?” Jonah asked, trying to hide his laughter. 

“Like once a few months ago,” Kara sighed, playfully rolling her eyes as she handed out plates amongst her family. “And in my defense, it wasn’t even a real fire.” 

“Mhm,” Lena folded her arms over her chest. “The fire alarm would beg to differ, my ears were ringing for like a week after that.” 

“Now you’re just being dramatic,” Kara shot back. 

She looked to Lori for help, but Lori just shrugged innocently. 

“Okay it was  _ kind of _ a real fire but it was only the oven and we were able to get it out really quickly,” Kara defended. 

Lena smirked and nodded. “I think Alex still has a video,” she said with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll ask her to send it so I can educate our kids.” 

Kara furrowed up her brow, a small crinkle appearing between her eyes. “How would it be educational?” 

Lena shrugged. “Fire safety.” 

* * *

 

“Hey, so Lori’s in the shower but I thought me and you could come up with something fun to do today and we’ll run it by her when she comes out,” Kara suggested. She plopped down on Jonah’s bed, watching as he picked out an outfit. Lena had just left for the doctor's office with Luna, so Kara was in charge of getting everyone ready for the day. So far, she’d been successful with Lori, but Jonah was still in his pajamas and looking as disheveled as ever. 

“I don’t wanna do something fun,” he mumbled. 

“Okay,” Kara said softly, noticing the shaky tone in his voice. “Is something wrong?” 

Jonah put his clothes on top of his dresser and turned around. He was frowning, his hands shook slightly by his sides. Somehow, he looked much smaller than he normally did, which didn’t go unnoticed by Kara.

He wrapped one arm around his stomach and scratched his collar bone with his free hand as if he were trying to retreat inside himself. He looked down at the ground, shuffling on his heels, wishing Kara would just go away. She was too much for him to handle. She was too happy, too nice, too different from what he was used to. Sure, he loved her for these same reasons, but he couldn’t take it. All he wanted was to be left alone, why couldn’t she get that?   
“I’m okay,” he said. It seemed like the right thing to say. If she believed him she’d go away. 

He’d been trying so hard to be good lately, to be everything her and Lena would want from a child. And they seemed to appreciate it for the most part, or at least that’s what he hoped. He just wished he  _ didn’t _ have to try. That things could still be good, even if he wasn’t perfect all the time. It was so hard always being put together when internally he felt like he was falling apart at the seams. But he knew his new parents wouldn’t like that, no parents did. 

“Jonah, if you’re upset, you can tell me, I won’t be mad,” Kara said. 

Jonah felt his face get hot all over as he suppressed the urge to cry. Sure, she said she wouldn’t be mad now, but someone who had the capacity to be so kind must’ve had it in them to be just as cruel. 

“I just don’t wanna go out.” 

Kara nodded. “Okay, are you sure there isn’t anything bothering you?” 

Sighing, Jonah shrugged, still making sure he didn’t look Kara in the eye. He knew that if he did he was sure to start crying and he couldn’t do that. Especially because if she found out the reason for his tears, it was guaranteed she would be mad. And if she got mad, she might threaten to send him away, and he couldn’t go back to living with his grandparents. 

“Do you want me to leave you alone?” 

Jonah nodded. But as soon as Kara got up to leave, the words he’d been trying so hard to keep in came falling right out. 

“I miss my mom.” 

Kara slowly turned back around. Quietly closing his door, she looked back over at him without saying a word. She couldn’t push this, he had to be the one to set the boundaries. So she stood silently, giving him a chance to speak.

“I…” Jonah looked up.

 “I wanna go home,” he said; his voice breaking as tears began to fall. “I wanna be with my mom.” 

He could feel his entire body getting tense as an achy feeling in his chest began to grow, spreading to his stomach and head.

“I like-- I like it here and I-- I’m sorry but I wanna go home,” he cried. “I want m- my old room and my-- I just wanna go home.” 

Kara gave a sad smile, taking a step towards him. She kneeled down so she was his height before speaking. “It’s okay, you don’t need to be sorry,” she said softly. “I know it’s really tough leaving your family.

A broken sob escaped Jonah’s lips. “I miss them so much.” 

Kara nodded sympathetically. “You know, I’ve been trying to get in touch with your mom?” 

Jonah sniffled. “Really?” 

“Yeah,” Kara said. “She hasn’t gotten back to me yet, but I’m sure if I asked you could video chat with her. Would you like that?” 

Jonah shrugged. Seeing her face on a screen wouldn’t be the same as being with her in person. It wouldn’t be as good as going home. And besides, what if she’d moved on already and didn’t want to see him anymore? What if he missed her but she didn’t miss him? 

“I want things to be normal again,” he cried. “I wanna be home again.” 

Kara nodded again. “I know,” she empathized. She remembered having a very similar conversation with Eliza after she’d been adopting, crying while Eliza held her, telling her how badly she wished things could go back to the way they used to be. And the whole time, feeling so incredibly guilty because after everything Eliza had done for her, there she was, crying about how she wanted to be with her real family. 

“What if she doesn’t love me anymore?” Jonah asked, his eyes full of fear. “And that’s why she won’t talk to you.” 

“Oh, Jonah, of course she still loves you. Your mom loves you so much,” Kara reassured. 

“Then why did she let them take me away?” 

Kara sighed, forcing back her own tears. “Because she knew she couldn’t take care of you and wanted you to be with someone who could make sure you were safe and healthy and okay.” 

Jonah sniffled and wiped his eyes. 

“Come here, sit down,” Kara said, patting the spot on the floor next to her as she lowered herself completely to the ground. Jonah did as instructed, silently waiting for her to say something else.

“Your mom loves you so much, she’s always going to love you,” she said firmly yet lovingly. 

“But what i-- what if I did something th- that was why I had to leave and she’s mad?” Jonah looked at Kara, trying to find the answer. He loved his mom, he’d always tried to be good for her. And if she loved him as much as Kara said she did, he must’ve been the reason he was taken away.

But Kara stopped his train of thought almost immediately. “Nothing you did could’ve possibly made your mom stop loving you. You know how I know this?” 

Jonah shook his head.

“Because you are such an amazing boy, she had absolutely no reason to not love you,” Kara reassured. “We’re fostering you because she wasn’t able to take care of you the way she should’ve been. And you needed someone to be there for you and to look out for you and even though she loves you, she couldn’t do that.” 

Jonah sniffled and wiped his eyes. “Why couldn’t she take care of me?” 

“I don’t know,” Kara said softly. “But I do know she wanted what’s best for you, which is why you’re here with us now.”

“Will I ever get to go back?” 

Kara gave an honest shrug. “I really can’t say,” she admitted. “If she shows she’s able to be able to look after you without any problems then maybe, but if not you’re gonna stay with Lena and I. And I know that probably isn’t what you want, but we care about you so much and we’re gonna do everything we can to make sure you’re happy and comfortable here for as long as you’re with us.” 

Jonah gave a small satisfied smile. 

“And if there’s anything we can do to make you feel more at home, just tell us and we’ll do our best to make it happen,” Kara added.

Biting down on his lip, Jonah looked at the floor and contemplated Kara’s statement. 

“Can we do baking together?” He eventually asked. 

“Of course we can,” Kara said with a grin. “Can I give you a hug?” 

Jonah nodded and wrapped his arms around Kara. She hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. And for a minute, it felt right. Like she wasn’t going to turn on him or end up hating him. And before he could stop himself, he let his mind wander to what it would be like to stay with them for longer than just a few weeks. 

* * *

Lena made a sharp turn, nearly crashing her car into a bush as she swerved into the Big Belly Burger drive-through. She wasn’t one for buying her kids fast food, but Luna hadn’t eaten lunch and after their long morning at the doctor's office, Lena knew if she didn’t feed her, the car ride back home would be extremely unbearable. And it was either burgers or the new vegan restaurant, and Lena wasn’t willing to take the risk of trying to get a toddler to eat avocado toast (no matter how much of an Instagram mom it would've made her look like).

Luna giggled from the back seat, clapping her hands as the car rolled into the long line. She quietly kicked her feet against her car seat, looking out her window at the rest of the cars. 

“Lulu, do you want a burger? It’s gonna come with a toy,” Lena asked. She knew she wouldn’t get a response but that didn’t mean she didn’t love talking to Luna.

After placing their order, Lena drove to the pickup line and glanced back at Luna through the rearview mirror. She had her bunny in her lap and was stroking its fur back and forth while she continued to watch out her window. Lena smiled at the sight before checking back out her window to watch for their food. 

“Mommy!”

Lena spun herself around so fast she almost got whiplash at the sound of Luna’s happy squeal. She tried to open her mouth and speak, but she couldn’t seem to form the words. Instead, she just stared wide-eyed at the little girl in front of her, who was looking at her with a goofy grin and giggling as she happily started kicking her legs again. 

“Wha-- what did you say?” Lena stuttered. 

“Mommy,” Luna giggled, throwing her hands up in the air as if to show how obvious it was. 

A wide smile spread across Lena’s lips as she listened to Luna repeat the word, the sound which was like music to her ears. She nodded and clapped, laughing happily as she took in the sound of Luna’s sweet little voice. She didn’t even care that one of the Big Belly Burger employee’s was trying to get her attention and hand her the food, or that she was holding up the very long line behind them. Luna was talking, she was talking to  _ her _ . 

She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying until her vision started to become blurred and she had to quickly wipe away her tears with her hands. 

“Luna,” Lena stammered, unable to bring herself to say anything else. 

“Mommy,” Luna repeated with a slightly confused grin. 

“Yeah,” Lena chuckled and nodded as she quickly wiped away her tears. “Luna, I am so  _ so _ proud of you.”

Luna flapped her arms and smiled with pride. “Mommy!”

Lena beamed right back at her as she nodded. “Great job, Lulu!” 

* * *

“Kara, guess what,” Lena called out as she walked into the apartment. She looked around the living room, trying to find her fiance before Luna inevitably got inpatient and ran off to go play. 

“Hey, where’s Mama?” She asked Lori, who was sitting by the coffee table, doing a puzzle with Jonah. 

Both of them shrugged, brushing off Lena’s question so they could go back to joking and putting together their game. And of course, Luna let go of Lena’s hand and wandered off to the toy chest to dig out one of her dolls. 

Once she was sure the three of them were fine on their own, Lena made her way to the bedroom, ready to collapse from exhaustion. She kicked off her shoes, sighing as the weight of the day began to set in. Sure, it had been a good morning; but taking Luna to the doctor for a check-up, shots, and a million different tests was nothing short of excruciating. And now that it was done, all she needed was just fifteen minutes to herself where she could sleep and build up her energy before one of her many children needed her again. 

However, Kara must’ve been thinking the same thing as she was sprawled over the bed in a starfish position, fast asleep. 

Lena chuckled to herself as she slowly and cautiously lowered herself down besides Kara, being as careful as she could to not wake her. She held her breath as she curled up next to her, making herself as small as possible so she wouldn’t disturb Kara. 

Feeling the weight next to her, Kara instinctively wrapped her arm around Lena. She mumbled something incohesive and smiled lazily to herself, which made Lena laugh. She opened her eyes, grinning at Lena. She reached up and tucked a stray strand of Lena’s hair behind her ear. 

“Hey,” Kara mumbled. “You’re home.” 

Lena nodded against her pillow. 

“How was the doctor?” 

Lena hummed quietly to herself in response. “It was fine, Luna had a few tantrums because she was scared of getting shots and I think the doctor kinda freaked her out.” 

Kara gave a small laugh, thankful she’d let Lena take Luna on her own. “I’m sure that was a lot of fun.” 

Letting out a yawn, Lena rubbed her eyes and shrugged. “It was something,” she said with a chuckle. 

“Did they say anything about speech therapy or special ed classes next year?” 

Lena nodded. “Yeah. The doctor thinks Luna might be on the spectrum for autism but she said she’d need to do a few more evaluations to know for sure. But she also said Luna’s very healthy and there’s nothing we should be worried about.” 

“That’s good,” Kara said, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. She hadn’t even realized how worried about the whole doctors visit until Lena told her everything was okay and for the first time all day she finally felt like she could breathe again. Everything really was fine. And maybe Luna would need some extra help, but she was still their Luna. She was healthy, that was all that mattered. 

“How were Lori and Jonah? Did you guys go out or anything?” Lena asked. 

“Jonah had a rough morning so we stayed in.” 

“What happened?” Lena asked and sat up, Kara following in her example. 

“He misses his mom,” she explained. “I’m gonna try and arrange for them to facetime, I think that might help. And I told him we could bake together because that’s something he used to do at home.” 

Nodding, Lena ran a hand through her hair and brushed it out with her fingers. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. I used to read Lori  _ The Wizard Of Oz _ every night for months because her mom read it to her. At first, she used to get really mad because I didn’t do it the way her mom did but eventually she started to really like it. She even made up voices for all the characters that we would do together,” she said with a chuckle. 

Kara smiled and leaned back against the headboard. “That’s really sweet,” she said. “We need to find something special we can do with him and Luna.” 

“Yeah, I think they’d like that,” Lena agreed. “But I do have good news, it’s very exciting,” she added, a nerdy grin crossing her lips. 

Kara raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Do tell.” 

“Luna talked to me,” Lena said, beaming from ear to ear. 

“She did?” Kara exclaimed, almost forgetting to keep her voice down. 

Lena nodded excitedly. “Yeah, in the car-- we were at a drive-through and she called me  _ Mommy, _ it was amazing.” 

“Lena that-- that’s incredible,” Kara said, instantly pulling Lena into a hug. “She really thinks of us as her parents.” 

Lena wrapped her arms around Kara, holding her close and hugging her tightly. She never thought about how good it would feel to have someone say it out loud. They really were kind of parents to Luna and Jonah. And that was kinda cool. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to yell at me in the comments :)


	7. Moments Before The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl this is a big fucking mess, feel free to yell at me for it

“Come on, we’re gonna be late!” 

Lena groaned as she lazily swung Luna’s backpack over her shoulder, ignoring Lori, who was desperately trying to get everyone out the door. They’d been lingering for at least fifteen minutes, but every time they were close to leaving someone realized they’d forgotten something or found a reason not to go.

As much Lena hated to admit it, Lori was the only reason they ever made it anywhere on time, mostly because she got extremely stressed if they didn’t follow a schedule. She liked having a sense of control over their events and timing, just like Lena.

However between Luna’s wardrobe issues (she’d tried to wear rain boots, jeans, and a dress paired with a fuzzy jacket in the middle of July and cried when Kara told her she had to wear fewer layers.) and having to help Jonah re-pack his suitcase since he was scared he’d done it wrong the first time, it didn’t seem possible that they’d get out the door any time before noon, even though they promised Lori they’d leave at eleven. 

“Okay, is anyone forgetting anything? Because once we leave the apartment, we’re not coming back,” Lena said firmly. “Jonah, do you have your suit?” 

 “Yup, and my pinchy shoes.” 

“Lori and Luna’s dresses are hanging up in the car and Alex is bringing our stuff,” Kara added, setting Lena’s anxieties partially at ease. “And I just double-checked all the suitcases, they’ve all got their swimsuits and water shoes and Luna’s water wings are in my bag.” 

Lena let out a breath of relief and smiled at Kara. “Have I ever told you I’d be a mess without you?” 

Kara laughed and leaned in to kiss Lena on the forehead. “I think you’ve mentioned it.” 

Lena bit her lip, taking a step closer to Kara and grinned. “We’re gonna get married,” she said with a giddy chuckle. 

Kara nodded before pulling Lena in for a kiss. “You’re gonna be my wife.” 

Lena beamed as she tucked a strand of Kara’s hair behind her ear. “I like the way that sounds.  _ Wife. _ ” 

“You guys aren’t gonna get married if we never get to the wedding,” Lori piped up. She raised an eyebrow as she watched them, taking the same stance Lena did when she was chastising one of her employees for doing  inadequate work.  She looked almost hauntingly like Lena, which her mother couldn’t help but suppress a laugh at. 

“Alright alright, we’re going,” she said, playfully rolling her eyes. She scanned the room one last time making sure she wasn’t missing anything before lifting the handle on her suitcase. “Now I’m gonna ask one more time, are any of you forgetting anything?” 

“Okay then, let’s go,” Kara said as soon as they were sure everyone was ready, knowing all too well if she didn’t step up someone was going to find something to worry or nitpick over. And she couldn’t help but want to bolt out the door with Lena so they could be one step closer to getting married. 

* * *

 

“Hey, we’re here,” Kara called out as she pushed open the door to the large house. She took a step inside, smiling as she took in all the decorations that Eliza been setting up. White paper flowers that had yet to be hung up littered the coffee table while photos of Kara and Lena lined the mantle along with the place settings that would be aligned at the dinner table. 

Not everything was set up with (Lena wanted to do most of it herself, knowing if she didn’t make it absolutely perfect it would nag at her all day) but Kara could see exactly how it would turn out. Even though it was messy now, it would turn into something beautiful. Something perfect for her and her perfect woman. 

“I’m in the kitchen!” Eliza called out. 

“Okay, littles go in first,” Kara said, stepping aside so the kids could come in. 

“Lori, why don’t you go show Jonah and Luna your room while we say hi to Grandma,” Lena instructed. She handed Lori Luna’s bag and soon enough, the three of them were running upstairs to Kara and Alex’s old room.  

Lena and Kara made their way into the kitchen, which was covered in half-finished, completely done, and barley started, trays of food. Eliza was standing over one of the countertops, adding dots of whipped cream to what looked like a pumpkin pie. 

“Do you need any help?” Kara offered almost instantly. 

“Oh, no, you girls are the guests of honor, Alex and Maggie are doing all the dirty work, they’re actually at the grocery store right now but I’ll make sure you get to see them once they’re back,” Eliza said with a chuckle, setting the whipped cream down and giving Kara a hug. 

“I can’t believe my little girl is getting married,” she said as she held her tightly. 

“I know,” Kara said, smiling brightly as she pulled away. “I got really lucky.” 

She took Lena’s hand in her own, beaming over at her and resisting the urge to kiss her. 

“You really did,” Eliza agreed. 

“Thank you so much for letting us have the wedding here,” Lena said. “I know it’s a lot of stress but I-- we’re so grateful.” 

Eliza smiled and shook her head. “Honey, you don’t have to thank me. I’m about to watch my daughter get married to an incredible woman, the pleasure is all mine.” 

“Really though, you’re doing so much for us, just-- thank you,” Lena reiterated. “Oh-- and I hope you don’t mind, I told the kids to go upstairs and put their stuff away. I just didn’t want them running around and making a mess.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Eliza brushed it off. “I can’t wait to meet Jonah and Luna, Kara’s sent me so many pictures but seeing them in person is just-- it’s so exciting. I must admit, I may have gone a bit overboard with the excitement though, so I hope you all like pie.” 

“Thank you, I’m sure the kids will love it.”

“And if they don’t, more for me,” Kara added, which got her a playful punch in the arm from Lena. 

“Speaking of our kiddos, I think I’m gonna go check on them, make sure they haven’t broken anything yet,” Lena said, excusing herself before turning around and making her way upstairs. 

Not only did she need to see if they’d unpacked their things yet, but she needed to get them ready for tonight's rehearsal dinner which would be held at a very fancy restaurant in Midvale. Almost all of their guests were going to be attending, including most of Kara’s family which meant they needed to be on their best behavior. This would be their first time meeting everyone, and Lena wanted to keep it under control to the best of her ability.

Luckily for her, by the time she got upstairs, Lori had changed into what she was calling her  _ Lena outfit _ , a pretty black dress she’d picked out after seeing Lena wearing something similar, paired with white wedges that she’d somehow convinced her parents to let her buy. She was helping Luna change into her dress, while Luna squirmed and wiggled out of her grip. Jonah kind of watched, already changed into his nice button-down shirt and dress pants, but showed no intention of helping. He was sitting on the ground, reading one of Kara’s old comics, not engaged enough to do anything. 

“Hey, you guys are almost ready,” Lena commented. She took the dress from Lori and instantly Luna ran away from to go hide in another room, wearing nothing but her nappy. 

“I didn’t want to be late,” Lori explained. “Also I really like my dress,” she added, twirling around and almost tripping over her own feet. 

“Are you sure those shoes are a good idea?” Lena asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Lori nodded. “Yup.” 

Lena sighed, knowing Lori was not going to take no for an answer. She would just have to pack bandaids in her purse and hope for the best. 

“Well, you look very pretty,” Lena said with a smile. “Very grown-up.” 

Lori grinned proudly. “Do I look like you? Mama said if I had straighter hair I’d look just like you.” 

Lena chuckled and nodded. “You do look like me. Maybe if we have time I’ll straighten your hair for dinner.” 

Lori’s eyes widened as she clapped her hands together excitedly. “Really?” 

“Why not,” Lena said with a shrug. “Do you want me to help you get Luna dressed?” 

“Luna doesn’t like it when I help,” Lori grimaced and folded her arms over her chest.  

“I’m sure that’s not true, you just have to tell her what you’re gonna do before you do it,” Lena explained. “Like how we always ask before we hug you, it’s the same thing. You just have to ask if you can put the dress on her and if she shakes her head, then you don’t touch her until she’s okay with it.” 

Lori nodded, taking Lena’s words in. “So I just have to ask her?” 

 “Yeah, and if she’s okay with it, you’ll tell her how you’re gonna help her before you do it. And if she says no, you’ll wait,” Lena answered.  

Lori nodded again, glancing over at the end of the hall to where Luna had disappeared. “Will you go with me?” 

“Of course,” Lena said before following Lori into the bathroom where Luna and gone to hide. And from there on out, everything went surprisingly smoothly. Kara and Lena were able to get to the restaurant early and make everything was set up properly before it was time to greet the guests. Luna even stood with them, waving to everyone who came in the door while Jonah and Lori took their seats with Alex, Maggie, and Eliza. 

Even Sam and Ruby were able to make it, much to Lori’s surprise. While Sam caught up with Lena, Lori told Ruby all about her new brother and sister and how she couldn’t wait for her moms to finally get married. 

Right before dinner started, Alex gave a semi-drunk heartfelt toast that made everyone laugh right before Kara gave hers, which brought everyone to tears; especially Lena. And before they knew it, the dinner was over and the family was back at Eliza’s, miraculously finding spots for everyone to sleep. (Eliza in the guest room, Lena and Kara in the master, Luna, Jonah, and Lori in Kara’s old room, and Alex and Maggie on the pull out couch). 

Soon enough, morning had come, which meant only a few hours before the wedding itself. So of course, the chaos included putting finishing touches on the backyard, setting up all the chairs and showing the wait staff how to work around the kitchen and making sure three certain children didn’t spill or break anything. It was hectic, to say the least, but Kara and Lena were sure it would be worth it. After all, they were going to be married. And to them, that was all that mattered.   

* * *

 

Kara looked up from the mirror at the sound of the knock on her door. She’d been staring at herself for the past fifteen minutes after putting on her suit and making sure it didn’t have any wrinkles or little imperfections. She needed to look perfect. And having the wedding she always dreamed of meant no little blemishes or mistakes. 

“Come in,” she said, watching as Jonah nervously stepped inside. 

“Can I talk to you?” He asked. 

“Of course, what’s up?” 

Jonah took a deep breath before walking into the room and closing the door behind him, only to get distracted when he saw Kara fully. He looked her up in down, smiling at her in awe. He’d never seen her like this. Her hair, which fell at her shoulders in loose waves was clipped back on one side by a discreet silver pin with white flowers that Jonah was almost positive were real. Her nails were painted a pastel blue to match her tie and she wore contacts instead of glasses so everyone could see her eyes. 

Jonah had never seen her look so put together and fancy, it was like seeing a whole nother person. 

“You look very handso-- I-- I mean pretty,” he said with a grin. 

“Thank you, you look very handsome too,” Kara said and smiled kindly. “Do you need help with your tie?” 

Jonah nodded and handed it to Kara, who carefully tied it around his neck, making sure it wasn’t too loose or too tight. 

“Are you excited?” She asked and Jonah nodded again. “I think Luna and Lori have been helping Lena get ready if you wanted to go hang out with them.” 

“No, I wanted to stay with you. Is that okay?” Jonah asked once Kara finished with his tie. 

“Yeah, I’d love that.” 

“So are you and Lena gonna be like my new moms?” Jonah blurted out. 

“What?” 

“It’s just that… you seem to have a lot of stuff around the house for us and normally people don’t do that kinda thing because it’s just for a little while, you know?” He explained. “And Lori said that you wouldn’t want to get rid of us or send us away and--- because you never sended her away either.” 

Kara paused. She wasn’t quite sure how to react. On one hand, she and Lena did want to adopt Jonah and Luna. She knew it was very possible that things would work out, Luna’s parents hadn’t contacted them at all no matter how often they reached out and made no effort to seem like they wanted her in their lives. And though Kara knew Jonah’s mom probably was really great and she did care for him, she was only in her twenties and working on getting sober at a rehab facility. It was definitely possible that Jonah and Luna would be adopted, but Kara couldn’t get her hopes up too high.

Of course, they wanted to be their parents and raise them together like they were doing with Lori. Kara was already hoping one day they would call her ‘mama’ the way Lori did and she knew Lena was more than likely wishing the same thing. 

However, Kara also knew that they couldn’t find security in places where there was none. Just because their chances looked good didn’t mean they could make promises they wouldn’t be able to keep or deny Jonah the opportunity of going back to his mom. Alex had been told she’d had a good chance of adopting a baby and it had been ripped away from her at the very last second. Anything was possible, they’d all been through it first hand. 

“We’re gonna do the very best we can to keep you guys with us since that’s what’s best for you ar the moment,” Kara said honestly. “But I know you love your mom very much and we would never want to take away what you have with her. If you want to live with us though, we’re gonna do everything we can to make sure you don’t have to leave.”

“I do miss her a lot, but I like being with you.” 

Kara nodded understandingly. “I’m sure she’d be really happy to know you like it here and that you’re having a good time.” 

“Do you think she’d be mad if she knew I wanted to stay with you for a while?” Jonah asked after some hesitation. “I-- I still miss her and I love her but I… I like staying with you and Lena. You’re always nice and you never take stuff away from us.” 

“She wouldn’t be mad,” Kara said softly. “She wants what’s best for you. And just because you like staying with Lena and I doesn’t mean you don’t love her, you know? There’s enough love for everyone.” 

Jonah smiled. “I like that.” 

* * *

 

Within an instant, Lena’s heart dropped to her stomach and her body became vacant. And as she lost the ability to breathe, she felt tears spring into her eyes. It was only a matter of time before her mascara began to run and her makeup would be smudged off, making her look like some sort of raccoon-esque bridezilla. Sure, she knew it probably wasn’t worth getting worked up over, but if something this simple was setting her off, there had to be bigger things that were yet to come. Bigger things she wouldn’t be able to handle. And knowing her, she would freak out and panic and Kara would see, she would see and she would figure it out right before the ceremony and realize just how much better she deserved. 

Holding her veil tightly in shaky hands, Lena let out an uneven breath and tried to steady herself. They were getting married in an hour, she couldn’t walk down the aisle a sobbing mess. She had to get it together. She had to push it down long enough to either get through the day.

“Lena do you-- hey, are you okay?” 

Lena clenched her jaw as she looked up, quickly wiping her eyes. She wanted to force a smile and insist that she was fine, but looking at Alex who seemed so caring and concerned, she couldn’t bring herself to lie. 

“I…” Lena held up her veil pathetically as her tears began to fall. “My veil ripped.” 

“Oh,” Alex said softly, taking a cautious step forward. “It’s okay, you still look beautiful without it.” 

Lena bit her lip and shook her head. She tossed her veil onto the bed, looking over at Alex helplessly. 

“Kara’s gonna realize how fucked up I really am and leave me,” she didn’t mean to say it, it just slipped out.

Alex sighed. “That’s not gonna happen.” 

Lena brought her hands to her forehead and looked up at the ceiling. Everything had been so good lately. It had been like something out of a dream, something so wonderful that she knew had to be too good to be true.

It didn’t matter how many times she tried to tell herself that maybe this whole family thing could work out, that maybe it could be the one thing in her life that actually turned out alright. And even though she’d been able to partially convince herself that she was deserving of all the love Kara had been giving her, deep down she knew she would have to eventually wake up and face the facts. She was broken, damaged goods at best. Sooner or later Kara would realize that and she’d have to wake up from her dream, even though so badly she wished she could live her fantasy forever. 

“I love her so much,” Lena cried. “And I-- she deserves  _ so _ much better.” 

Alex drew in a breath and held it. She closed the door behind her before walking fully into the bedroom and sitting down on the edge of the bed. 

“Lena, Kara loves you more than anything,” she reassured. “And trust me, a lot of girls want her.” 

“That doesn’t help.” 

“My point is, Kara could have any girl she wants, but she chose you. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Lena, believe me when I say she only has eyes for you,” Alex reassured her. 

But Lena shook her head. “She’s gonna see how much better she can do.” 

“Okay, sit down,” Alex said softly, patting the spot next to her. 

Lena wiped her eyes and sniffled, trying to straighten herself out. Eventually, though, she smoothed out her dress and sat down beside Alex, staring at the ground so she wouldn’t have to make eye contact. 

“Kara is currently down the hall teaching Jonah how to tie his tie and making sure his suit isn’t wrinkled. If she didn’t want to be here, she wouldn’t have proposed or adopted two kids with you.” 

Lena tried to say something, but Alex cut her off before she could begin. 

“Hey, you know before you guys started dating, Kara used to call me every time she saw you and talk about how cool and smart and pretty you are,” she said, smiling over at Lena. “She used to ramble on and on about you, she honestly would never shut up unless I told her to.” 

Lena gave a small smile. “Really?” 

Alex nodded. “Yeah. I think I knew you guys were gonna end up getting married way before Kara even knew she liked you.” 

Chuckling, Lena wiped her eyes. Alex and Maggie had always teased them at game night for being such a cute couple, she could only imagine the jokes and playful comments Kara got on her own. 

“I know it’s dumb,” she admitted. “I mean… for the most part, I know Kara isn’t gonna up and leave… she’s too good of a person for that. I just-- I don’t know, I’m so used to things not working out, I get scared when they do.”

“Well, you may not believe it yet, but you deserve your happy ending,” Alex said, placing a hand on Lena’s knee. 

“Thank you.” 

“You don’t need to thank me,” Alex smiled, giving Lena’s knee a squeeze. “Do you want me to get Kara?” 

Lena bit her lip. “Isn’t it like… bad luck for her to see me in the dress?” 

“Lena, you’re raising a family together, I don’t think Kara seeing you before the wedding is gonna magically break you up.” 

Without a moment of hesitation, Lena nodded and Alex had set off to find her sister. And before long, Kara was sitting by Lena’s side with one arm draped around Lena’s neck while Lena rested her head on Kara’s shoulder, not caring if it messed up her hair. Her makeup was already smudged, so what if her hair got a little frizzy? 

“Hey, what happened?” Kara asked once she felt Lena relax against her. 

“My veil ripped and I… I kinda spiraled,” Lena admitted with a small chuckle. 

“Lena, you’re gonna look gorgeous with or without a veil,” Kara comforted. “And you know I don’t care how you look, I’d marry you even if you were in your pajamas and hadn’t brushed your hair in days.” 

Lena smiled slightly, looking up at Kara. “I know,” she said, kissing her softly. “I just kinda freaked out, I think I’m okay now.” 

“Are you sure?” 

Lena nodded. “Yeah… I just… you being here helped. Thank you,” she said, wishing she could snuggle up against Kara but knowing if she did it would wrinkle her dress completely. 

Kara pressed a kiss to Lena’s forehead and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m always here, whenever you need me,” she said softly. And Lena nodded once more. 

“I know.” 

“And you’ll let me know if you start to spiral again?” 

“Yeah,” Lena said. “But I-- I should probably fix my makeup now, it took so long the first time. 

Kara nodded understandingly. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it.” 

“You look beautiful in your dress, by the way,” she said as she stood up and took a minute to really look it over. 

“Thank you,” Lena traced a circle on Kara’s palm and stood up too. “And you look so handsome.” 

Kara blushed and glanced down at the ground. Lena still had that effect on her after all their time together, the ability to take all the words right out of her. She could always make her into a flustered mess, something Kara was sure was never going to stop happening. But that was okay, she loved the way her stomach still filled with butterflies when Lena got flirty. 

Kara looked back up at Lena and grinned. “If you start to freak out again, I’ll be down the hall if you need me.” 

“You’re not mad?” 

“Why would I be mad?” 

Lena shrugged, reminding herself once more that Kara was far too good for petty things like that. 

“But if you’re still worried about my veil, I’d be happy to chop off my tie so we’re even,” Kara suggested, earning a laugh from Lena. 

“Yeah, I’m good. It was cute in The Office but I don’t want you to have half a tie in our wedding pictures.” 

“Okay, well, I’m gonna let you finish fixing your makeup because you kinda look like a raccoon, and I think you look beautiful but I’m not sure if my vision will reflect in the photos you care so much about” Kara joked as she made her way to the door. “And I should probably check on Luna and see if she’s spilled anything on her dress.” 

Smiling, Lena nodded. “Okay.” 

“You ready to get married?” 

Lena nodded once more. “I’ve always been ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop they're boutta get married   
> sorry i left it on a weird note, i was too lazy to actually write the wedding lmao but i will and it'll be up soon


	8. Forever Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena finally get the wedding that was supposed to happen 5 chapters ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing to say for myself. This is a mess.

Bringing a hand to her heart and smiling tearfully, Kara beamed as Luna and Jonah walked down the aisle. Luna held a little woven basket and Jonah helped her sprinkle white rose petals onto the grass. 

However, they only made it halfway down the path when Luna stopped, having caught a glimpse of Kara standing at the altar. Seeing her with tears in her eyes, she realized Kara must’ve been sad. If she wasn’t she wouldn’t be crying. And Kara always helped her when she was sad, which meant she now had to help her. So she dropped her basket on the ground and ran as fast as her tiny toddler-sized legs would carry her, right over to Kara, leaving Jonah to drop the rest of the petals on his own. 

Kara laughed as Luna wrapped her little arms around her legs, looking up at her and smiling a big toothy grin. And the rest of the guests awed as Kara bent down and picked Luna up, holding her on her hip. 

“You left Jonah all alone, Lu,” Kara said and tickled her stomach, making Luna giggle loudly. Once she stopped, Luna reached up and wiped away Kara’s tears, using her whole hand and making sure she was very careful not to poke her in the eye. The gesture was enough to make Kara want to start crying all over again. She almost really did when Jonah reached the altar and hugged both of them. With her free arm, she hugged Jonah back, before setting Luna back down on the ground.  

And just as she looked up once more, she saw Lena. 

She stood at the end of the aisle, her arm linked with Lori’s, holding a bouquet of plumerias. 

Kara couldn’t help but let out a gasp at the sight. Sure, she’d already seen Lena in her dress, but it was completely different from seeing her standing just a few feet away from the alter, minutes away from being her wife. Everything about the sight in front of her, it could only be described as breathtakingly perfect. And Kara knew it sounded cliche and cheesy, but she didn’t care, to her, it was perfect. 

Every little detail from the intricate designs on Lena’s dress to her loose curls and her blue earrings had been cared for and worked until it was exactly the way Lena wanted it. Even the things most people wouldn’t have noticed like how the flowers she held were the same ones in Kara’s hair were things she’d had planned for months so that everything could be exactly the way she and Kara wanted. It was like every moment of confusion or doubt from just hours before had washed away, because neither of them had ever been more certain of anything. This was meant to happen exactly the way it was. 

The sun even seemed to shine directly down on Lena, illuminating her like a Disney princess as she walked down the aisle. 

“I love you,” Lena said softly, looking down at Lori and smiling brightly. 

“I love you too,” Lori said, beaming back at her. 

“Thank you for walking me down the aisle.” 

Lori grinned. “Well, one day you’ll be walking me on my wedding day.” 

Lena quietly laughed and shook her head. “Don’t even talk about getting married, you’re my little girl and you’re _always_ gonna little to me.” 

“I’m really happy you and Mama are getting married,” Lori said. “I think she’s the only person who’s good enough for you.” 

They stopped once they reached the altar. Lena leaned down, placing a kiss on Lori’s head before stepping beside Kara. Her hands were shaking and her knees felt weak and wobbly, but as she drew in a breath and looked up at Kara, she knew it would all be worth it soon. All she had to do now, was to continue to breathe and allow herself to take in the moment. 

“We’re here,” she said. 

Kara nodded with a lofty smile. “We’re really here,” she took Lena’s hands in her own, giving them a squeeze as she took a mental photograph of the scene in front of her, hoping this would be a moment she never forgot. She wished she could just stay in this instant forever, staring at her gorgeous almost-wife and wondering how the hell she got so lucky as to end up with a woman like her. 

“Are you ready to begin?” 

Kara and Lena looked over at Alex and nodded in unison. She’d gotten ordained online per Kara’s request to officiate the wedding and took her job very seriously, even going as far as to watch a bunch of lesbian weddings online for “research”. 

“Okay,” Alex smiled. “And you have your own vows?” 

They both nodded once more. 

“Alright, Kara, you can go first.” 

Kara took a deep breath as she took her note cards out of her pocket. The writing was sloppy and shaky, written in one of Lori’s purple glitter pens. The ink had gotten smudged from being in her pockets too long, making the words barely legible. 

Her hands trembled as she read them over in her head one last time, the realization that she could _not_ screw this up hitting her like a brick. She looked up at Lena and gave a nervous grin, deep down wondering why all the guests couldn’t disappear so it could just be the two of them. Because if they were alone, she would have no problem declaring her love to her; she’d done it many times before. But all these people made her want to shy away and shrivel up into a little ball. 

“Lena,” she began, her voice uneven already. “Lena I--”

She sighed, looking down at the cue cards once more. Her palms were sweating, smearing the ink even more. She could feel her heart racing a mile a minute, knowing if she didn’t get it together soon, she was going to pass out. 

Kara chuckled awkwardly and stuffed the cards back into her pocket. She could do this. She loved Lena, she wanted to marry her more than anything, she just needed to remind herself that Lena wouldn’t mind if she stammered or tripped over her words. And if Lena knew how anxious she was, she would say it didn’t matter what their guests thought; the only thing that mattered was that she loved the way Kara got flustered and stuttered when she spoke. To her, it meant she cared enough that there were so many things in her head fighting to find a voice, that it became hard for her to speak at all. To Lena, it wasn’t something to be embarrassed over, it was something to be proud of. 

So she would improvise, and do her best not to sound like a rambling idiot, even if she did feel like one. 

“Lena, from the day we first met I… I knew you were someone special,” she started over. “I-- I’ll admit, I was kind of a huge fan of yours, being the nerd I am and all.” 

Lena gave a breathy laugh, her cheeks heating up and turning bright pink as she ducked her head bashfully. 

“I just-- I had this feeling the first time we talked that I _had_ to be your friend. I wasn’t sure why, I just had to,” she continued. “To me, you were this incredible genius who was just-- just amazing in every single way and I was just some fifth-grade teacher who got lucky enough to have your daughter in my class. Lori, who turned out to be just as smart as you.” 

Kara glanced over at Lori, shooting her a grin, to which Lori mouthed _thank you_ and gave her a thumbs up. 

“And even though I was just this overly cheerful rambling mess, you took a chance on me. You listened to me when I talked and you never…” Kara paused. Her eyes were filled with tears and there was a lump rising in her throat. She reached for Lena’s hands, taking them in her own and giving them a squeeze. And it was only once she looked back up did she realize that Lena was moments away from crying too, only she had a long beautiful smile which radiated a light that Kara could bask in all day. 

“You never acted like you were above me,” she said, her voice soft and tender. “In my mind, you were like… like this all-powerful being and you never once took advantage of that. From day one, even when I was annoying and called you during work hours to talk to you about Lori, you always treated me with respect and kindness, and not many people would do that.” 

Lena tilted her head, resisting the urge to say something back about how Kara deserved all the love and kindness in the world, and if people didn’t see that then they didn’t deserve her in their lives because she was the most wonderful ray of sunshine there ever was and shouldn’t have to put up with people who refuse to see the beauty in her personality. 

“Lena, you have a warmth in your heart that I’ve never seen in anyone else. You are a kind-hearted beautiful soul, and by far the most selfless person I have ever met. And with every passing day, you only become more generous and caring.”

It was only when Lena reached up and wiped away her tears that Kara realized she started to cry. But she couldn’t let that throw her off, she had to finish strong. Even if she had tears rolling down her cheeks and was ready to become a blubbering mess because God she was really about to be _married._   

“I am the luckiest woman on earth to get to wake up every morning and see your face. And I’m so grateful for all the days we get to spend together, whether we’re going on fancy dates or taking the kids to the park, or even just having a lazy Sunday where we make hot chocolate and all five of us sit on the couch watching movies all day. No matter what it is, every moment I get to spend with you is special and one I know I will cherish for the rest of my life.” 

Kara gave Lena’s hands a squeeze and sniffled. “I love you so much, and I still can’t believe I actually get to marry you.” 

Lena had to wipe away her tears as Kara finished, thanking whatever God was out there that she’d decided to put on water-proof mascara after her mini freak out earlier. 

“Lena?” Alex prompted, as soon as Lena appeared somewhat put together. “Are you ready?” 

Lena nodded, smiling nervously as she resisted the urge to wipe her sweaty palms on her dress. She took one last deep breath before looking up at Kara and reminding herself once more she could do this. She could make it through, she just had to ignore the people watching and say all the things she had hoped Kara knew; but never said out loud until now. 

“Love has never been something that came easy for me,” she began. “In the past, whenever I got to close to someone, I would isolate myself from them.” 

She bit her lip and looked down at the ground. Already, her eyes filled with tears as Lena reached out so she could hold Kara’s hands in her own once more, giving them a squeeze just like she always did. 

“I spent so long trying to push people away that I had convinced myself that I wasn’t worthy of love and that I shouldn’t go looking for something that wasn’t there,” she let out an uneven breath as she felt Kara begin to trace circles on the back of her hand with her thumb. 

“I never… I never thought I would find someone who would love me for me,” Lena paused, thinking back to the start of their relationship. She’d been so sure it was all a fluke, that Kara would leave with time. But for some reason, she’d stuck around, and Lena was so thankful she did. 

“From the very beginning, you treated me like no one ever had before. You loved me for my flaws and my successes at once, never holding one above the other. Even the pieces of myself that I’m still learning to like, you always welcomed and accepted.” 

Lena knew it was only a matter of seconds before her tears fell and she really did begin to cry. But for once she didn’t care. She’d always wanted to say these things, she’d always wanted to be able to express to Kara just how special to her she really was. And though, part of her knew Kara probably knew how much she meant to her, Lena wished she could find a way to put her feelings into words. And doing it at their wedding, though terrifying, was cathartic in a way. Because even if it was difficult to say, it was all true and Kara deserved to know how Lena felt deep down. 

And for a minute, standing there with Kara, it was like the rest of the world had dissolved and it was just the two of them. Like there was no one watching and they could finally just be together in the moment, able to forget everything that came before. 

“Kara, from the moment I met you, you were everything I never knew I needed. As a mother, a friend, and now as a wife, you have been there through thick and thin and you’ve never once shied away from my craziness, and I come with a _lot_ of crazy.” 

Kara tearfully laughed and nodded. 

“You never put up with my self deprecating jokes and you have always made me feel so worthy of your love,” Lena smiled as she took a second to inhale deeply, remembering what it felt like to breathe after unconsciously holding her breath for so long. 

“You see the good in everyone, even if you have reason to believe otherwise,” she stopped, willing herself to stop crying. 

“You never gave up on me, even when I tried to push you away. You were always by my side, being the friend I needed through everything. And through it all, you taught me how to trust in myself and in you and you taught me to believe that I deserved all the light and happiness you’d brought into my life.” 

Lena reached up, tucking a strand of Kara’s stray hair behind her ear that had broken free in the wind. 

“You were the first person who when I thought of you, I could be sure no matter what happened to us, you would always be my best friend, first and foremost. You would-- and you always are there for me, more often than not with a tub of ice cream and potstickers,” Lena added with a chuckle. 

“Making you a part of my life was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made, and every day I realize just how lucky I am to see you every day and to know that we have built this family together. I still don’t know what I did to deserve all this, but I promise every day we are together, I will do my best to give you everything you have given me. To protect you, to always stand by you, and to be the light you have always been for me.” 

Lena paused, taking a second to watch Kara and bask in the moment one last time. 

“Kara, I love you so much, and there is nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you and our wonderful family.” 

And when the words _I do_ left their lips and they leaned in for their first kiss as wives, both of them bursting with simultaneous excitement and repose because holy shit they were finally married. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to scream at me in the comments or on tumblr @godhatesoliviaa


	9. Newlyweds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's almost 2am, i had intentions of abandoning this fic but right now there's a bug in my room and i'm very scared of it so i hid in the bathroom and finished this so i could post it as a cry for help. someone rescue me.

“Okay, I’d like to make a toast,” Alex said, standing up and holding up her glass of champagne. 

Lena and Kara exchanged nervous glances as Kara’s sister cleared her throat, getting the rest of the guest's attention. There really was nothing like an Alex toast, especially when she was this tipsy. 

“So, the first time Kara told me about Lena, I made a joke and said one day they’d be married with three kids, two dogs, and a minivan. And now, as of today, they’re officially married with three kids. They still have yet to get their dogs and minivan, but I have high hopes the time will come where they’re the model soccer moms that everyone hates just a little bit.” 

Lena looked down at her food, already blushing furiously. 

“Hey, we’re already halfway there, it would really be a crime not to get those two dogs,” Kara whispered to her.  

Lena rolled her eyes. “We’re not getting a dog. And now none of our kids are ever playing soccer.” 

“It really has been amazing to watch them go from being hopelessly in love with each other to growing into the family they have today. I remember when Kara used to ramble on and on about her dorky crush on Lena, and I’d like to think even then I knew they were meant to be together,” Alex smiled over at her sister, who was holding hands with her wife and grinning from ear to ear. 

“And I know that sounds cheesy, but I have never heard someone talk the way Kara talks about Lena,” Alex paused, glancing back over at Maggie. “They are the most honest, loving, and genuine relationship that I have ever seen, other than my girlfriend and myself of course. So to Kara and Lena, I wish you both the best.” 

Everyone raised their glasses as Kara and Lena just smiled at each other like idiots, neither of them really able to process anything that was happening. It all seemed so surreal, like something out of a dream that would never come to be. But it had, they were really married, they really did have a daughter and two foster kids. It was far too good to be true. And both of them knew they never wanted to get off the high they were currently on. 

* * *

 

Eliza’s back yard wasn’t huge. It was big enough for a small wedding between family and friends, which Lena and Kara were eternally grateful for. It was good for holding about twenty or so guests without being too cramped. However, this meant it was also it was big enough for three little children to easily get separated from their parents in the crowd of people that now seemed way too large to be just twenty. So it didn’t long for Lena to fall into a panic when she realized why there had been a sudden decline in the number of questions she was being asked and bad jokes she was being told. 

“Where are our kids?” She asked Kara as she tried to put her finger on the last time she’d seen anyone of her children. Her eyes frantically darted from the deck, which had the buffet and a large cluster of people, to the grassy area with tables and chairs. 

“I think Jonah’s with Eliza, she’s helping him get food,” Kara said, her voice holding a calmness that Lena did not appreciate. 

“Okay, what about the girls?” She asked, the panic in her voice only increasing.

“What? I thought you had them,” Kara responded. Her eyes widened as she joined Lena in looking around the backyard. “Don’t tell me we lost two of our kids.” 

Lena bit her lip and rubbed her sweaty palms on her dress. “I think we lost two of our kids.” 

“Well I mean-- we’re at my mom's house, they can’t be that lost,” Kara said, trying to ease the anxiety that was quickly rising between the two of them. 

“Yeah, but they could’ve run into the road or off the property. They could be in another state by now.” 

“Okay, Lena the furthest they could’ve gotten is my neighbor's house,” Kara attempted to reassure her. But she had to admit, Lena did make a good point. They could’ve managed to hitchhike or accidentally run far far away from the house. 

And before either of them could say anything else, Alex walked over to them with two glasses of champagne, handing one to each of them. She congratulated both of them and made jokes to hide how emotional she wanted to get over her little sister getting married, trying to play it off like she was totally cool. But it was clear to see how genuinely moved she was by the whole thing, and that meant the world to Kara. 

Still, it didn’t take long before Alex noticed the anxious looks on their faces. 

“Hey, what’s got you two so down?” She asked. “Come on, you’re newlyweds, where’s the excitement?” 

Neither of them responded, they just exchanged terrified looks. 

When Lena eventually did open her mouth to speak, she quickly stopped herself upon the realization of how ridiculous she would sound by telling her what had happened. How could she be so foolish? How could she lose  _ both _ of her girls? Her loud, messy, larger than life kids who never left her side except for when it was most inconvenient? It seemed like something that was physically impossible to do, and yet there she was. 

“Don’t tell me you’re getting divorced already,” Alex laughed in an effort to lighten the mood. 

“We lost Luna and Lori,” Kara couldn’t help but confess. 

Alex chuckled, assuming they were kidding but stopped herself when she saw how serious they were. “What? No, you didn’t, they’re right over there,” she said, pointing to one of the tables that was almost hidden under a tree. 

And she was right, Lori and Luna hadn’t been lost at all. They sat side by side, seeming to be in their own little world. They were both smiling brightly, laughing about something Kara couldn’t quite pick up on.

Lori was folding one of the white cloth napkins into a boat while Luna watched in awe. She clapped her hands together when Lori was done, bouncing up and down on her toes out of excitement. Lori giggled as Luna picked out the remaining petals from her little woven flower girl basket, placing them around the makeshift boat. 

“Is that the ocean?” Lori asked. 

Luna nodded. 

“It’s pretty,” Lori said with an approving smile. “Do you want me to make a boat out of your napkin?” 

Luna nodded enthusiastically and eagerly flapped her arms. She watched with intent as Lori began folding her napkin into a boat, smiling brightly when she finished. She was filled with amazement; as if Lori had completed an impossible feat. 

“And you can wear it like a hat,” Lori picked up her own boat, placing it on her head, which made Luna giggle. “See?” 

Slowly and carefully so she wouldn’t break it, Luna picked up the napkin boat and followed Lori by setting it on her head too. She cautiously took her hands off and smiled up at Lori when it didn’t fall. 

“Good job,” Lori said with a laugh. “You look beautiful.”

At the sight, Kara and Lena breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief. 

“We’re not terrible parents,” Lena said and hugged Kara once the panic left her body. 

“We aren’t terrible parents,” Kara repeated, hugging Lena back as she felt the air return to her body. 

“You aren’t,” Alex affirmed. “Now please, try to loosen up and have some fun. This is your wedding for crying out loud!”

* * *

 

After that small bump, the reception seemed to fly by. Lena and Kara danced their hearts out on the grass dance floor (much to Lori and Alex’s embarrassment) and stayed by each other's side pretty much the whole time. Lena only left momentarily when the clock struck six and she carried Luna inside to tuck her in. 

As she kissed her goodnight and Luna smiled up at her, Lena’s eyes filled with tears. 

She knew it sounded crazy, but looking at her, Lena was positive that Luna was meant to be her daughter. She was meant to be a part of their family, just like Lori had been. Her and Jonah belonged with them, Lena was sure of it. 

“Mommy, no crying,” Luna said, her voice soft and sweet. She reached up and wiped away Lena’s tears with her fist, the way she remembered Lena doing for her. 

Lena let out a tearful laugh at the gesture as Luna sat up and reached up as far as she could to try and give Lena a kiss on the forehead. Lena leaned down for her so Luna could give her a sloppy kiss before smiling proudly at Lena. 

“Thank you, Lu.” 

“Mommy’s okay?” Luna asked. 

Lena nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. You’re just so wonderful and it makes me so happy.” 

Luna giggled. 

“Alright, now are you ready to go to bed?” 

Luna laid down and pulled her covers up to her chest. 

“Good, now do you want me to sing you a song?” 

Luna clapped her hands. 

“The wheels on the bus?” Lena asked. It was the only song Luna would let her or Kara try to sing to her. Any other lullaby or she would whine and cry. In a way, it was convenient because it meant she would always follow her bedtime schedule if they did it the way she was used to. Unfortunately, though, it meant that everyone in the family had grown to hate that song, even though Luna had only been with them a little over two weeks. 

“Okay, after your song are you gonna go right to bed?”

Luna nodded. 

Before long, she was fast asleep. And Lena couldn’t wait to go back outside and find Kara. 

* * *

 

Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck, pulling her close for a kiss. 

“Hey,” she said, smiling lazily. “You ready to get going?” 

“Yeah,” Lena said and leaned in close to her. 

When they found out that Luna and Jonah would be coming so soon, Kara and Lena had reluctantly given up their honeymoon so they wouldn’t have to leave all three kids with Alex and Maggie. They’d agreed that once the two had become more adjusted, they would go on a vacation just the two of them. But for now, they had booked a suite at a very nice hotel just outside of Midvale so they could have two nights to themselves. 

It wasn’t what Kara and Lena had originally wanted. But Paris would still be there for them in a few months. So they were fine with waiting, as long as they got to have their mini kid-free honeymoon after the wedding. 

“I want to talk to Alex and Maggie again, just to make sure they’re really ready,” Lena added. 

“You already gave them a long list of instructions, the pediatrician's number  _ and  _ the number for Lori’s therapist,” Kara said, raising an eyebrow. 

“I know, but I’m nervous,” Lena stated the obvious. “This is gonna be our first time leaving all three of them alone.” 

“Well, Alex, Maggie, and my mom are gonna be there. We’ve got one adult per kid, they’re gonna be okay.” 

Lena sighed and nodded. “I know. And I do want to get going, I promise. I just want to talk to them one more time. I won’t take long.” 

Kara groaned, knowing all too well whoever Lena ended up talking to was in for a  _long_ lecture. "Alright, I'll wait in the car." 

* * *

 

“Do you have the number for the pediatrician?” 

Maggie had just come outside to meet Lena on the front porch after getting multiple texts from Kara telling her to _prepare herself for Lena to go full-on momzilla._ Unsurprisingly enough, it had only taken Lena about a second before she took her CEO stance and was staring her down with a look that would fill anyone with fear.

“Yeah, you texted it to us and put a copy of all the emergency numbers on the fridge,” Maggie said, unable to keep a slightly condescending tone from slipping through, despite Lena's strong facade. She knew her friend was mush on the inside. Even if she did have a glare that could cut her in half. 

Lena pursed her lips. “I know, but if something goes wrong you need to be prepared. Can you stay calm in a high-pressure situation?” She raised a challenging eyebrow, to which Maggie stifled a laugh. 

“Lena, I’m a detective. High-pressure situations are what I do,” she assured her. “And it’s only a few days, we’ll be okay.” 

Lena bit her lip and glanced up at the big house. She and Kara had a car waiting for them and a room ready but she didn’t want to let go. She knew it would be a while before she got to be alone with Kara like this again but still, she hated knowing her kids would be without her. Even if it was just for two days. What if they needed her? What if they cried because they wanted her or Kara and there was nothing Alex, Maggie, or Eliza could do to help? And it wasn’t like Luna was going to tell someone if something was wrong. She hadn’t even spoken to Kara yet. There was no way she was going to start making conversation with three strangers. What if she thought they were leaving her with another family and never coming back for her? Lena couldn’t handle knowing the distress her and Jonah might be in without her and Kara. 

Maggie sighed as she noticed Lena start to retreat within herself. 

“Hey,” she said softly and placed a comforting hand on Lena’s shoulder. “If anything happens we’ll call you. We can video chat in the morning and you’ll be the first to know if anything goes wrong.” 

Lena bit her lip and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Luna doesn’t like chunky peanut butter in her sandwiches, and she’ll only eat it if the Jelly is purple,” she said, her voice shaky and uneven. It was so simple but so much. 

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” Maggie said; nodding with a reassuring smile. 

“And she’ll get mad if the two halves are touching. Oh, and she’ll only drink out of her blue sippy cup, it should be on her nightstand. And she hates the texture of most vegetables so we’ve been hiding them in her food so she doesn’t notice,” Lena added.

“Got it. Is there anything else?” 

Lena paused. “Just… make sure they’re all happy.” 

“Will do. Now go have a nice mini-vacation with your wife,” Maggie said, gesturing to the car where Kara was loading their bags for them.

“Okay,” Lena said with a small laugh. “And you promise you’ll call if anything happens?”

“I promise.” 

Lena clamped her jaw shut as she tried to stop herself from thinking about the million and one things that could go wrong. Someone could get hurt or sick, Luna could refuse to eat because Alex and Maggie didn’t make her meals in the very specific way Kara and Lena had been learning she liked them. There were so many possibilities and none of them seemed good. 

“Hey, it’s okay, we got this. And it’s not like Alex and I are gonna be alone, Eliza’s going to be here the whole time. They’re gonna be fine,” Maggie affirmed. 

Lena rubbed her collar bone, trying with everything in her to trust in Maggie that everything would be alright. 

“Okay,” she eventually said, giving a small smile.“Oh-- but there’s one more thing, I told Lori you would hang out with her. She just thinks you’re so cool and she looks up to you and I think she’s been feeling kind of left out since Jonah and Luna moved in. So I thought maybe you two could watch a movie or you--”

“Lena, of course, I’m gonna hang out with Lori. I love her,” Maggie said as if it were obvious. “Now please, go be with your wife.” 

Lena turned around to face the car and took a deep breath. She could do this. She could try to let go, just a little bit, right?

“Also don’t forget the--”

“Go! Go to your wife!” 

“But--”

“Go!” 

And with that, Lena reluctantly turned back towards the car and let out a breath. She was going to have her mini-honeymoon, and everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So on a kind of serious note, the reason I have been silent on this fic is because I genuinely hated it so much. Like I couldn't (and still kind of can't) understand why anyone would read it because to me it's so boring and plotless and nothings happening. So I kinda left it for a while because it was becoming painful to write and this fic was supposed to be something that was happy for me, and the people reading it. I did need a break and I know now that I've come back to it I'd normally say "I'll start posting regularly again" but not going to lie, that probably won't happen since I'm starting school on the fifth. So that's my reason for abandoning it, I'm really sorry if anyone was waiting for updates. 
> 
> Also, I'm not trying to fish for compliments or whatever so don't come for me in the comments


	10. Three Kiddos and a Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Maggie watch the kids while Kara and Lena are away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this chapter is so short and very sanvers oriented. I just didn't feel comfortable writing smut so this is mostly just domestic fluff with the kids and Alex and Maggie. The next chapter will be all supercorp :)

“We’re alone.” 

Kara nodded with a giddy smile. “We’re alone.” 

Lena let out a long exhale and dropped her head to Kara’s shoulder. “Do you hear that?” She asked, her smile taking up half her face. 

“Hear what?” 

“The silence,” Lena said. “No Disney music, no crying, no singing  _ Frozen _ barbies. Just silence.” 

They’d only been at the hotel for around an hour but they already felt like they were in heaven, and they hadn’t even done anything besides lounge around on the bed together. Now that they finally had a moment to just relax by themselves, they wanted to bask in it forever.

Kara chuckled and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “I’ve missed being alone with you.” 

She rolled onto her side, letting one of her legs lazily fall onto Lena’s as she placed a long, loving kiss on her wife’s lips. 

“Mm, I’ve missed it too,” Lena said as she reached for Kara’s spare hand and intertwined their fingers. 

“You know what else I’ve missed?” Kara asked, toying at the hem of Lena’s bathrobe (the first thing she’d done upon arrival was change out of her dress). 

“What?”

“This,” Kara slowly opened the robe so it fell loosely off Lena’s shoulders, making sure she went at a pace where Lena could stop her if she got uncomfortable. But she didn’t. Instead, she leaned forward and placed a long, passionate kiss on Kara’s lips. Because she had missed alone time just as much as Kara had. 

* * *

Babysitting was much easier than Alex and Maggie could’ve ever anticipated.

 Lori and Jonah went to bed when they were told, they cleaned up their toys and games, and neither of them complained about having to share a room with each other or with Luna. They even helped Eliza bring all the dirty dishes from the wedding inside so they could be washed the next day before going to watch a movie with their aunts. 

Alex had to stop herself from texting Kara to tease her about how great they were doing, she couldn’t believe how easy the whole parenting thing was. But of course, they still sent pictures of the two oldest kids cuddled up with their grandma on the couch to Lena and Kara, telling them everything was fine and Lori and Jonah were being very well behaved. Mostly to set Lena’s nerves at ease, since she’d already texted them multiple times asking for updates. 

By the end of the night, Alex and Maggie both had to admit, watching over three kids wasn’t as hard as they’d been told it would be. And once they were sure everyone was asleep, they high fived and whisper yelled to each other, gushing over how good they were doing, before heading back downstairs to finish cleaning up the kitchen so Eliza could get some rest. 

“This whole kids thing is so easy, I don’t know what Lena was so worked up about,” Maggie commented as she handed her wife a clean bowl to dry. 

Alex shrugged. “I think they’re probably just being extra good for us, I’m guessing they’re not always this helpful.” 

“Well, either way, I like having them here,” Maggie looked down at her hands and smiled to herself. She had never pictured herself being a mom, but being the cool aunt was pretty cool in her book. Nothing could beat the priceless reactions she’d gotten when she told Lori some of her favorite stories about ‘fighting the bad guys’. And sure, it might’ve been cocky or whatever, but she liked knowing Kara and Lena’s kids looked up to her. It made her feel like she was actually doing some good in the world. 

“Yeah, it’s fun having them around,” Alex said and nodded. “We should babysit more often.” 

“We should.”

“You know Jonah asked if he could start calling me ‘Aunt Alex’?” Alex said with a proud grin. 

“That’s adorable,” Maggie responded. 

“Yeah,” Alex chuckled. “He and Luna are so cute, I really hope they get to adopt them.” 

Maggie nodded. She almost said something back but paused at the sound of a door opening upstairs. 

“Did you hear that?” She asked. 

“Hear what?” 

Alex’s question was quickly followed by the creaking of Eliza’s old steps and the sound of tiny footsteps running down a hallway. 

“I think one of the kids are up,” Maggie whispered and unconsciously held her breath. And before either of them could say anything, they saw Luna standing at the other end of the kitchen with her a blue fleece blanket draped over her shoulders holding her bunny tightly against her chest. 

“Hey,” Alex said and knelt down so she wouldn’t seem so tall. “Did you have a bad dream?” 

Luna didn’t respond. But in the darkness, Alex could somewhat make out the tear tracks on her cheeks and the way her lips were pulled down into a frown. 

“Do you want some water?” She offered. 

Luna looked down at the ground and put two fingers in her mouth. 

“Do you miss Kara and Lena?” Maggie asked, her voice soft and soothing. And as soon as the words left her mouth, Luna let out a cry that shattered her heart into pieces. 

“Oh, it’s okay, don’t cry,” Maggie said quickly and held out her hand as if that would stop it sooner. 

“We-- we can call them,” she suggested. “Do you want to call them?” 

Luna started to cry harder, the sound filling both Alex and Maggie with panic. Neither of them had any idea how to comfort a crying toddler, all they knew was if Luna got any louder, Lori and Jonah were going to wake up and they would have to somehow get all three kids back to bed. 

“I don’t think she knows what that means,” Alex said and anxiously scratched her head. “Should we wake up my mom?” 

“No, we can do this,” Maggie said as much confidence as she could muster up. “Let’s facetime Kara, her and Lena are probably still up.” 

“Yeah, doing stuff we can’t say in front of you-know-who,” Alex rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to have to listen to Kara complain about how I c-o-c-k blocked her for the next year.” 

Letting out a long sigh, Maggie folded her arms over her chest and shot her wife a look. “Do you have a better idea?”

* * *

 

Alex and Maggie took their seats on the sofa with Luna mushed in between them and Alex’s laptop open on the coffee table. Luna still hadn’t stopped crying completely, but her wails and sobs had turned into whines and sniffles which they were hopeful would stop when she saw her foster moms. 

“Okay, are you ready to say hi?” Alex asked before clicking on the  _ facetime _ icon next to Kara’s name in her contacts. 

Luckily, Kara picked up on the third ring letting Alex and Maggie breathe simultaneous sighs of relief. And as soon as she saw them, Luna jumped off the couch and onto the ground. She knelt down onto the ground and leaned forward, focusing as hard as she could as she watched Lena take a seat next to Kara and wave at her. 

“Hey, Lulu,” Kara said with a smile. “Are you okay, sweetie?” 

Luna nodded and leaned back against the foot of the couch. She reached out her hand, which was covered in a sticky mixture of drool, snot, and tears, and placed it on the screen. 

“We miss you so much,” Kara said and wrapped her arm around Lena’s waist. 

It was only then that Alex noticed she was only wearing the hotel bathrobe and Lena had on Kara’s white button-down shirt. She grimaced as she tried to keep herself from thinking about what they were doing when she and Maggie called. 

“I’m so sorry, I completely forgot to tell you, she’s been sleeping in bed with us ever since she moved in. She hasn’t spent the night alone yet, that’s probably why she’s upset,” Lena apologized. She looked back at Luna and smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to leave you all alone.” 

Luna looked up and wiped her eyes with her fist. 

“But we’re gonna be back before you know it,” she added. 

“Oh, if she gets upset again just give her some water in her favorite cup and normally that helps calm her down,” Kara said to Alex, who nodded and made a mental note. 

“Is there anything else we should do?” 

“Luna loves to give big hugs, right Lulu?” Lena piped up, and Luna nodded with a grin. She didn’t like it when people picked her up or hugged her unexpectedly which Kara and Lena learned very quickly, but she was by far the most affectionate of their kids and gave out hugs to almost everyone. 

“Yeah, now it’s pretty late so you really need to go to bed, okay?” 

Luna nodded once more then opened and closed her hand as if to wave goodbye at her mom's. 

“Bye, we love you!” Lena said with a bright smile. 

“Goodnight Lu,” Kara added. Then Luna waved goodbye once more as Kara hung up and the screen went black. With that, she took Maggie’s hand and let her aunts take her back to her room and kiss her on the forehead before she finally went back to sleep.

And as Alex and Maggie hovered in the doorway, watching over the three silent children, Alex pulled Maggie close and rested her head on top of her wife's. 

“You know, Luna kind of looks like you,” she quietly observed.

“What, because we’re both Hispanic?” Maggie folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. 

“No, she has your dimples when she smiles.” 

Maggie bit her lip, a failed attempt to force back her smile at Alex’s comment. She had to admit, she did think it was pretty cool that she and Luna had that in common. 

“And you’re both tiny,” Alex commented and poked Maggie in the arm, to which Maggie rolled her eyes and scoffed. 

“I hate you.”

“I love you too, now let's go to bed before someone else wakes up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and feedback is always appreciated, or feel free to yell at me on Tumblr- @Godhatesoliviaa


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning- panic attacks and mentions of flashbacks

Lena looked up from her laptop upon feeling her phone buzz in her pocket for the fifth time. She’d been meeting with representatives from Obsidian Tech in hopes of starting a partnership with them that would aid her in the development of one of her newest projects. If everything went as planned, she’d be able to start really diving into her work within the next few weeks, which was a huge step for her. But having her phone go off so many times that she had to excuse herself to see what was the matter, certainly didn’t fit her definition of going as planned. 

Once she was in the hall outside the conference room, Lena unlocked her phone to see a long thread of missed messages from Lori. She let out a long breath before reading them, hoping that whatever it was could be resolved quickly and she could go back to her meeting. But the minute she saw the texts, she felt her heart drop to her stomach. 

_ Mom  _

_ Mom  _

_ Mommy  _

_ I can’t breathe  _

_ I’m scared that something’s happening  _

With shaky hands, Lena typed out a response, her fight or flight response kicking in almost immediately.

_ Somethings wrong but idk what it is. The fire alarm went off and now I can’t breathe and my chest hurts and idk why.  _

As Lena read the newest message, she cursed herself for not picking up her phone earlier. Sure she was there now to ask what’s wrong and do her best to help, but Lori needed her. Her daughter was scared and needed her help and she had been completely MIA. 

**Do you want me to come get you?**

Lena bounced on the balls of her heels and scolded herself once more. She should know better by now, she should know to check her phone. She has a family to look after, she can’t just ignore them. That’s something Lillian would do, and Lena could not let herself fall down the same path as her mother. Especially not after everything her kids had already been through. 

_ It’s only the third day of school what if my teachers are mad?  _

**They won’t be, I can talk to them for you.** __

_ I’m sorry  _

**It’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m glad that you texted me.**

Lena held her breath as Lori’s typing bubbles disappeared than popped back up again.  

_ Can you pick me up?  _

**Of course, I’ll be right there.**

* * *

 

Lena drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, groaning as her car pulled to a stop. The traffic was nearly unbearable despite the odd time of day which only made Lena even more worried about Lori. She was already stuck in school, not being able to contact Lena was probably making her anxieties a million times worse. So every time the long line of cars in front of her failed to move, Lena was filled with panic at the thought of her daughter sitting all alone with no one to help her. And the more she panicked, the more she thought about how it was all her fault that this was happening.

 If she’d just picked up the phone the first time she could’ve been there already. If she’d done her one job as a parent and listened to her kid, they wouldn’t be in this situation. But she’d been too focused on work to listen to the feeling in her gut and check to see if anything was wrong. It was something Lillian would do; she surely would’ve left Lena in school if she was having a panic attack. She would’ve continued throughout the day without a second thought. She wouldn’t even bat an eye. 

Lena tightened her grip on the wheel and bit down on the inside of her mouth. After everything she’d done to try and be good, to be someone other than a Luthor, she was still falling short. She was still just right below where she needed to be. It didn’t seem to matter how hard she tried. She wasn’t, and never would be enough. 

But after all, it was in her genes. She was cold and ruthless at heart, just like Lex, just like her father. So maybe she shouldn’t have been so surprised that she was failing her family the way her parents had failed her growing up. She would always be a Luthor and she would always have the potential to be just as cruel and just as heartless as the rest of them. 

The car in front of her began to move and Lena had to use all the control she had in her not to slam the gas pedal. She held her breath as she tightened her jaw, trying to get herself to stop thinking so hard. Lori was the one she needed to be focused on. Lori was scared and she needed her mom to keep it together. Lena couldn’t show up and fall apart at the seams, that would only make things worse. So she would box up all thoughts of Lillian and push them down into the deepest, darkest, crevices of her soul so she could focus on someone else for once and stop being so selfish.

* * *

“Hey, Lori, what happened?” Lena asked as soon as she found Lori. She was sitting on a bench in the main office with her backpack in her lap, her arms wrapped around it tightly. Her eyes were red and swollen, they left dried tear tracks all down her cheeks. And as soon as she saw Lena, Lori let her bag fall to the ground so she could hug her mom. 

“It’s okay, I got you, you’re okay,” Lena said as she began to rub soothing circles on Lori’s back. “I’m here, you’re gonna be alright.” 

Lori was shaking violently in her arms, the sobs taking over her body until it was like she had no control left in her. Lena could even tell her her knees were quivering, barley holding up her weight.

“I-- I thought-- th-- the alarm,” she choked out. But she couldn’t seem to form the rest of the words and instead buried her face in Lena’s chest. 

“You don’t have to tell me now,” Lena reassured her. “Let’s just sit until you feel better and then we can go home, okay?” 

But Lori wouldn’t let go of her. So Lena continued to hold her while whispering calming words until Lori showed she wanted otherwise. She could feel a wet patch form on her blouse from Lori’s tears but she didn’t say anything. She just waited as calmly as she could until Lori eventually pulled away and sat back down on the bench. 

“I’m-- I’m sorry I made you leave work,” Lori hiccupped as she began to wipe her eyes. 

“It’s alright, you did the right thing by texting me.” 

Lori sniffled and looked down at her lap. “I don’t… I don’t wanna get taken away from you and Mama.” 

“Lori you… you’re never going to be taken away from Kara and I. I promise, you’re always going to be safe with us.” 

Lori looked up at Lena, her chin still quivering and her eyes filled with tears that threatened to overflow. “It sounded just like the sirens.” 

“What sirens?” 

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lori folded her hands together and began to fiddle with her thumbs the way Lena always did when she was nervous. Her lips tugged downwards into a frown, her brows furrowed together as she tried to piece together the words in her head.

“When they-- the police… when they took me,” she tried to explain. “It was so loud and I-- I thought i- it was happening again and they-- they were gonna take me away b- but this time they weren’t gonna have anywhere to send me and I was gonna be all alone.” 

By the time she finished, Lori was crying again and Lena was using all the strength she had from crying too. She bit her lip as she wrapped her arm over Lori’s shoulder and pulled her close once more, rubbing circles on Lori’s palm with her free hand. 

“I’m sorry I know that must’ve been really scary,” Lena said softly.

Lori nodded as she let out another broken sob.

 “But I promise, you’re never  _ ever _ going to be taken away from me and Mama, okay? We’re not gonna let that happen.” 

“But what if, what if your mom tried to take me again?” 

Lena shook her head. “She’s in jail, she can’t hurt us. And you’re adopted so you can’t leave us until you’re an adult, not even if you wanted to.” 

Lori sniffled and wiped her eyes again. “I never want to leave you and Mama.” 

“You don’t have to,” Lena reassured with a smile. “You can stay with us until we’re old and wrinkly and you have your own kids to look after.” 

Lori let out a chuckle through her tears, which made Lena smile a genuine smile this time. “That would be kind of weird.” 

“Yeah, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Lena said, giving Lori a squeeze. “Now, do you think you’re ready to go home or do you need another minute?” 

“Can we go home?” 

“Of course.” 

* * *

 

“What are you doing here?” Kara asked upon seeing Lena sitting on the living room couch with her computer on her lap. 

“Hello to you too,” Lena said, looking up from her laptop as Luna and Jonah ran past Kara and into the kitchen. 

“Hello, I’m very happy to see you home so early, my lovely wife,” Kara said playfully, to which Lena gave a smug nod. “But seriously, what are you doing home before me? Lori’s school is like an hour away.” 

“She wasn’t feeling well, I’ll tell you what happened when” Lena pointed to Jonah and Luna, who were sitting at the kitchen island, obliviously eating fruit snack gummies. “Are gone.” 

Kara nodded slowly. If Lori had gone home sick, Lena would’ve had no problem talking about it openly. Or she would’ve at least texted her about it so she could pick up Tylenol on the way home. 

Kara took a seat beside Lena, a crinkle forming between her eyes. “What’s going on? Is Lori okay?” She whispered, knowing there must’ve been more than what she was being told. 

Lena closed her laptop and set it on the coffee table. “She had a panic attack at school,” she said, keeping her voice low so the kids wouldn’t overhear. “They had a fire drill and the alarm was triggering for her. It reminded her of police sirens, I think she started having flashbacks to when she was first taken out of her home.” 

“Oh,” Kara breathed. That was more than she’d expected, to say the least. “How’s she doing now?” 

Lena gave a small shrug. “Comparatively better. She’s tired and pretty shaken up though, she’s never really had something like that happen before.” 

Kara nodded solemnly and pursed her lips. “Poor thing. Do you think you should schedule an appointment with her therapist? It might help or at least help her understand what happened.”

“I asked if she wanted to see Dr. Jones tomorrow but she said no. But she has her regular weekly sessions so unless something happens before next Monday I think she’ll be okay.” 

Leaning back against the sofa so Lena could lay her head on her shoulder, Kara hummed in affirmation. She then took Lena’s hand in her own and intertwined their fingers when she felt how tense Lena was against her, hoping it would do something to help her relax. 

“How are you after all that?” 

“I’m doing okay,” Lena said, a little too quickly. 

“Are you lying?” 

“A little bit.” 

Kara sighed and rested her head on top of Lena’s. “I know how much you love your little boxes but that really isn’t healthy.” 

Lena tightened her jaw to refrain from responding. Right now she needed her boxes. She needed everything to stay inside so she could keep it together for everyone else. She needed to be there to pick up the pieces when they fell apart and she couldn’t do that if she was thinking about her own crap. But she wasn’t in the mood to argue now. So instead Lena shrugged and mumbled a lame excuse. She would confront her demons one day, but today was not that day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter was such a mess. I don't have anything to say in my defense for it, so I'm just really sorry about how it turned out.


	12. In Sickness And In Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is sick, Kara takes care of her. Basically just meaningless fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story literally has no consistency or plot whatsoever and no, I don't intend on changing that. (I am sorry about how sloppy the writing is though, and I'm working on making it better)

“Kara?” 

“Yeah?” Kara looked up at Lena, who was standing at the other end of the living room, picking up Luna’s wooden train tracks while she attempted to put a large pile of Lego bricks back into their box. 

“We should talk to Lori about what happened today, right?”

“Yeah, maybe not today though because it’s getting kind of late,” Kara said as she flicked a crumb of what appeared to be last nights pizza off one of the little plastic pieces. “We have all weekend so we don’t have to do it right away.” 

She wasn’t quite sure how, but it seemed like every time they cleaned, their apartment was instantly hit with a tornado of chaos. Everywhere she looked, there were toys or books or leftover wrappers with half-eaten snacks. At this point, Kara knew cleaning up this late in the afternoon wasn’t going to make a difference. And if she were being honest, most of her was ready to just give up and be at the mercy of her kids and their mess. 

“I can do it tomorrow in the morning,” Lena thought out loud. “And would you mind taking Luna to her appointment tomorrow? I haven’t been feeling to great.” 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Just a stomach ache. I’m sure it’s nothing though.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “You know, when Jonah doesn’t want to do his science homework, he always gets a stomach ache too. If you don’t want to take her you can tell me, I’m fine with going.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Yes, please take her.”

Since she’d been diagnosed with autism and selective mutism, Luna had been seeing a child psychologist who’d been teaching her basic ASL and other ways to communicate without having to do so verbally. While she’d started speaking to Lena and Kara which was huge progress, it wasn’t enough that they could consistently understand what she needed without a tantrum. And though taking her to these sessions still often resulted in a meltdown since she hated the sudden change in her routine, hey were helping much more than Lena or Kara could’ve expected. Especially since she wouldn't talk at all to anyone outside of her family, it made her transition into daycare much easier. 

“Okay, but can we please be done with all this?” Kara asked, gesturing to the rest of the scattered toys and games that littered the living room floor. “I’m exhausted, I feel like I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since our honeymoon.” 

“Really?” Lena raised an eyebrow. “Because if I remember correctly, neither of us got much sleep that night.” 

Kara chuckled and shook her head. “You know what I mean.” 

“I do, now come on, let’s go to bed,” Lena said, smiling as she extended her hand for Kara, who graciously dropped the remainders of the lego disaster into the bin before intertwining their fingers. 

 

* * *

 

Lena woke up to either the churning feeling in her stomach or Luna’s foot in her face. She could only be sure when she sat up and the queasy feeling grew, causing her head to spin and shivers to run down her spine. Her stomach rumbled as she clutched it, letting out a small moan. Closing her eyes, Lena tried to take a deep breath in hopes that the feeling would soon pass. But before she knew it, she’d run to the bathroom and collapsed onto the floor with her knees digging into the tiles. One hand gripped tightly against the toilet lid while the other held her hair back as she heaved; the reason why she’d woken up in the first place now very clear. 

Once she’d thrown up everything she’d eaten in what felt like the last year, Lena laid down on the cold ground with her hand over her stomach and groaned. Of course, this had to be happening at some horrendously early hour of the morning. If it hadn’t, it would have been very unlike her luck. 

Part of her wanted to pathetically stumble back to her room and wake Kara up. But she knew she could never ask her wife to get sick at her expense. And after all, lying on the bathroom floor, Lena was nothing short of disgusting. It would just be plain mean to make Kara hold her hair back for her while she threw up again. 

However, even so, she couldn’t help wishing Kara would come find her. That she would sit with her on the ground and hold her until she started to feel better. 

And maybe she was being dramatic, she knew she probably was. But that didn’t stop her from hoping maybe Kara would notice she wasn’t curled up beside her and Luna, and would come to her rescue. 

* * *

 

“Mm, good morning, Lulu,” Kara mumbled as an  _ extremely _ energetic toddler hurled herself onto her stomach. 

She yawned and stretched her arms out before sitting up and pulling Luna into her lap, tickling her belly which got a fit of giggles and happy squeals out of the little girl. 

“You look messier than your mommy in the morning,” Kara said with a chuckle. 

And it was true. Luna’s bonnet must’ve started slipping at some point during the night because it had fallen halfway off and her loose curls were flying out in every direction possible, making her look like a very small little lion. One of her socks had fallen off and was now floating around in their mess of pillows and blankets. And somehow, she had managed to lose her pajama pants too, to which Kara couldn’t be sure if it was intentional or not. 

She looked over to the spot where Lena should’ve been lying, ready to show her how absolutely ridiculous their daughter looked. Because damn, her and Lena may not have been biologically related, but Kara wasn’t sure she’d ever seen someone look the way the two of them did when they first woke up. But Lena wasn’t lying beside them, and when Kara touched the sheets, they were cold, which meant she must’ve been gone for some time. 

“Speaking of Mommy, you wanna help me go find her?” 

Luna nodded eagerly and lifted her arms up, her way of asking for a piggyback ride. 

“Of course you can have a piggyback,” Kara smiled warmly, and it only took a second after she’d stood up for Luna to launch herself onto her and wrap her little arms tightly around Kara’s neck so she wouldn’t fall. 

They wandered into the kitchen together, Kara secretly hoping Lena had decided to make breakfast, while Luna swung her legs and hummed the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song to herself. But the kitchen and living room were empty, other than the toys and books that still the floor, coffee table, and countertops. They probably should’ve just sucked it up and finished cleaning last night. 

For a minute, Kara contemplated checking the other kid's rooms, but she knew if they were up with Lena, the penthouse would not be this quiet. 

“Mommy went potty,” Luna suggested. 

“Yeah, maybe,” Kara bent down to her knees and set Luna on the ground. 

“Do you wanna watch some tv before your brother and sister wake up?” Kara asked as she turned on Disney Jr as a distraction. If something was wrong, the last thing she and Lena needed would be for Luna to see whatever it was. Luckily, the diversion worked and Luna flapped her arms happily before hopping up onto the couch without any hesitation. 

As soon as Kara knew for sure she was settled enough to be left alone, she quickly made her way to the bathroom, which was where she found Lena curled up in a tight ball on the floor. 

She held her stomach with both hands as she groaned quietly to herself, making quiet pained noises that somewhat sounded like words. Her skin was almost as pale as the white walls, with the exception of her cheeks, which were flushed a bright pink. A mixture of cold sweats and tears dripped down her face, leaving her eyes pink and puffy.   

Without missing a beat, Kara crouched down beside her, not caring about how dirty the tiles were. She reached out and stroked Lena’s cheek with her palm and smiled sadly at her. She didn’t ask what was wrong, she had a pretty good idea from the sight in front of her. And she knew it would only embarrass Lena, who was always insisting she never  _ ever _ got sick. So she sat with her, holding her hand and wiping away her sweat and tears until Lena was ready to come to her.

“I think I’m sick,” Lena eventually said; her voice hoarse and raspy. 

Kara nodded with a small laugh. “Yeah, you’re running a fever,” she said as she pressed the back of her hand to Lena’s forehead, which was abnormally hot. “I’m sorry I didn’t take you seriously last night, I didn’t realize it was this bad.” 

“It’s okay,” Lena whispered, the effort to speak fully seeming to be far more than what she had in her. 

“Wouldn’t you rather lie in bed than on the floor?” 

“No, the floor is nice and cold.” 

“Lena, you’re covered in goosebumps,” Kara pointed out. 

“Those are because I got freaked out when I threw up.” 

“Do you want me to get you some fresh clothes at least?” Kara offered. “I can bring you my NCU hoodie-- the one that’s too big on you and some sweats.” 

Lena nodded without lifting her head. “Thank you,” she said softly. 

“Of course. And are you sure you wouldn’t rather lie down in bed or on the couch? I can kick Luna out of the living room if you’d like.” 

Lena smiled and reached for Kara’s hand to hold but didn’t show any signs of wanting to move. “If you kick that precious little girl out of the living room I will divorce you for being a heartless monster.” 

“Okay, Lu can stay in the living room,” Kara said with a chuckle. “But what about going to lie down in bed?” 

Lena mumbled something unintelligible before covering her eyes with the hand she’d been using to hold her stomach, which Kara took as a no. She pulled her knees close to her chest and groaned. The nausea was becoming unbearable and it was starting to feel like the room was spinning, which was not doing her queasiness any favors. The tiles, which had once felt so nice against her bare skin, were now covering her with hot shivers, causing more beads of sweat to form on her hairline. 

“Kara I--”

“Mama, go potty,” of course, at the worst possible moment, Luna was hovering in the doorway, hopping back and forth between each foot. 

“Can you use the bathroom in your room?” Kara asked. 

Luna shook her head. 

“What about the one in Jonah’s room?”

“It’s icky,” Luna folded her arms over her chest but continued to wiggle. She looked down at Lena and scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion.  

“Mommy’s tummy feels icky,” Kara said. “Please, can you use Jonah’s bathroom?” 

“Mommy’s sick?”

“She--” 

Luna stopped hopping. And Kara wasn’t sure which was worse, cleaning up the puddle she left behind or listening to Lena throw up again as she left the bathroom to help Luna find a change of clothes. 

By the time Kara got back to check on her, Lena was passed out on the bathroom floor, using a towel as a pillow.  

Kara sighed as she knelt down beside her, wishing she didn’t have to wake her up. But she knew if Lena still had any sense of rationale in her, she would want clean clothes and to brush her teeth. So Kara shook her gently. And soon enough, Lena gave her a very confused yet annoyed look. 

“Hey, I brought you my hoodie and sweatpants,” she offered. “You can go back to napping, I just thought you should change and brush your teeth.” 

Slowly, Lena sat up and accepted the clothes. “You know you don’t have to be doing this, right?” She said and raised a tired eyebrow. 

“I know,” Kara said softly. “I want to.” 

* * *

 

“Kara?” 

“Mhm?”

“Where are our children? It’s too quiet in here.”

“Alex took Lori and Jonah to a movie, Maggie is with Luna at her appointment and I think they’re all gonna go to the zoo later.” 

“Oh.” A pause. “Kara?” 

“Yeah?” 

Lena hesitated before speaking again. “Can we cuddle?” 

“Only if you’ll sit on the couch with me.” 

Lena groaned but allowed Kara to help her off the floor. However, as soon as she was on her feet, the ground beneath seemed just a little too unsteady and the walls seemed to move in circles just a little bit. The gross feeling in her stomach took control of Lena’s body and before she could stop herself, she’d all but fallen onto Kara, gripping her shoulders with everything she had in her so she wouldn’t lose her balance. 

“It’s okay, I got you,” Kara said softly. She placed a hand on Lena’s back and the other on her shoulder to keep her steady. 

“Is it alright if I pick you up?” 

Lena nodded in affirmation and Kara slipped her arm beneath Lena’s waist, lifting her off the ground and holding her close. Lena wrapped her arm around Kara’s neck, resting her head on her shoulder and giddily smiled up at her. Being this sick was awful, but she had to admit, having Kara hold her like this was something she could definitely get used to. 

“I know the circumstances suck, but I love holding you like this” Kara said softly, a cheesy grin on her lips. 

Lena smiled and nuzzled up against her, burying her face in Kara’s chest. She mumbled something but it was muffled in the fabrics of Kara’s pajama shirt. 

Kara carried her into the living room and slowly sat down onto the sofa. Once they were steady, Lena curled herself as close as she could towards Kara, who leaned back and held her tightly. She ran her fingers through Lena’s hair and placed little kisses on her forehead. And it didn’t take long at all before Lena had fallen asleep out on top of her.

 

When Lena eventually woke up, it seemed as though maybe she should’ve stuck to lying on the bathroom floor. The nausea had intensified and her forehead was now throbbing, making it painful for her to even turn her head. The whole thing just made her want to crawl under a rock and die. But perhaps the worst part was the guilt that came along with knowing Kara had to put up with all her grossness. 

 “I’m sorry I’ve been bitchy today,” she whispered into Kara’s chest, too exhausted to even look up at her. 

“It’s okay, you’re sick, you get a pass,” Kara said with a smile. 

Lena reached for Kara’s hands and began to fiddle with her fingers. Normally, she’d pull at her own fingertips but Kara was here and she was anxious and sick and needed the stimulation, or at least some sort of distraction from how disgusting she felt. 

“I know, I just… I’m not used to having someone there for me when I’m sick,” Lena admitted. “If I pushed you away today it’s because I just-- I didn’t know how to react.” 

Kara nodded understandingly. “What would Lillian do when you were sick?” She couldn’t help but ask.

Lena shrugged. “Normally just deny it,” she said with a scoff. Unless she had been visibly ill as a child, Lillian would’ve brushed it off as Lena being overdramatic and letting her feelings get the best of her. 

“If it was really bad, she’d give us medicine and make sure we waited it out in our rooms so we didn’t spread it to anyone else. Never any cuddles or soup, unsurprisingly,” she added with a dry chuckle.

 “I always seemed to get sick when it was most inconvenient for her so she always made sure it was very clear to me that she’d given up a lot to take care of me and I shouldn’t whine and complain because she didn’t want to put up with it.” 

Kara’s eyes softened as she reached for Lena’s hand. “I’m so sorry.” 

Lena averted her gaze and shook her head. She hated talking about this kind of thing, it was just so humiliating. 

“It’s fine, normally I just avoided telling her unless something was really wrong. And more often than not, it didn’t really matter either way because she would send me to school unless I was either puking my guts out or couldn’t walk.”

Kara went to say something, probably something sympathetic which was what Lena feared. She didn’t want pity, no matter how well-intended it was. That would only make things worse, even if Kara was just trying to help. So she cut her off before she could even get a word out, making a sad attempt at a joke to hide everything she was really feeling. 

“Can you believe you married me?” 

She let out a small chuckle but quickly looked back down at the ground when her eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t bring herself to admit it, but maybe Lillian’s neglect, when she’d been especially vulnerable, had taken a bigger toll on her than she’d like to think about. 

Having Kara here, attending to her every need and not being disgusted by her, it just made Lena ache. She didn’t even know what it was inside of her. Maybe nausea, maybe forgotten trauma bubbling to the surface, she couldn’t be sure. It all felt the same. It just made her want to cry. 

“Kara, you don’t have to be here, I don’t want to get you sick.” 

But Kara shook her head. She moved closer to Lena, carefully wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close, allowing Lena to nuzzle her head into the crook of her neck. 

“It’s okay,” Kara said softly. She took Lena’s hand in her own and kissed her the top of her head gently as she began rubbing circles on the back of her hand with the pad of her thumb. And when she felt Lena let out a small, quiet, sob against her, Kara just held her closer. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” 

Lena gave a pathetic shrug as she stifled another sob. “For making you take care of me. You shouldn’t have to do this.”

“Lena, you don’t need to apologize, okay? You’re not making me do anything. I’m here because I love you, even when you’re gross and sweaty and pukey,” Kara gave Lena a squeeze and lifted her chin with her thumb so they were eye to eye. “You are a kind-hearted,  _ beautiful _ soul, and you deserve all the love in the world.” 

Lena bit down on the inside of her mouth, trying with everything she had in her to keep from crying anymore. Kara’s words just meant so much. They were everything she’d wanted to hear for so long, everything she’d needed. They wrapped themselves around her like a warm blanket, making it feel like she would be okay, she would eventually start to feel better, both physically and mentally. 

“I am so sorry your family didn’t appreciate you the way they should’ve,” Kara continued. Her voice held a firmness yet gentleness that Lena could listen to all day. “But you deserve to be loved and cared for when you’re sick  _ and _ when you’re healthy.” 

“Thank you,” Lena said softly. 

“You don’t need to thank me.” 

* * *

 

“Where’s Mom?” Lori followed Kara into the kitchen with Luna and Jonah at her tail. Alex and Maggie had just dropped them off and it had taken all of two seconds before the three started pestering Kara (who just wanted to get a snack) with questions. 

“She’s in our room,” Kara responded as she opened one of the cabinets and began digging through them, trying to find something that wasn’t supposed to be packed in a lunch.  _ Why do they have to take over everything?  _

“Why?” This time the question came from Jonah, who was now standing at Lori’s side. The three children had formed a sort of semi-circle, confining Kara to the corner of the kitchen. They were like little evil scientists who had found the perfect formula of getting her to answer all their questions; lure her in with food and trap her. 

“She’s not feeling too well.”

Luna nodded knowingly. “Yeah, she throwed up.” 

Lori scrunched up her nose and grimaced. “Ew.” 

“Is she still gonna be sick tomorrow?” Jonah asked. “Because she said we could have a movie night tomorrow and we were gonna watch Harry Potter.”

Kara opened her mouth to speak, but before she could even get her thoughts together, she was cut off once more. This time, it was Luna. And when she gave her question, Kara could’ve melted right there. 

“Do you think if I gave her bunny she’d feel better?” She asked innocently, handing the stuffed toy to Kara and smiling sweetly. 

“She’d love that,” Kara said softly and leaned down to give her a kiss on her forehead. 

“What about my sippy? She’d like that?” Luna asked. 

“I think she’s a little big for your sippy, but you can bring her some water in a big girl cup,” Kara suggested. 

And soon enough, the three children had compiled their own little tray of gifts that they presented to Lena (who was fast asleep but would see it when she woke up). It included Luna’s bunny, a glass of water, saltines, Jonah’s stuffed Koala, Lori’s quilt, which she draped over Lena. And of course, a get well card that the three of them made out of yellow construction paper and glitter glue. They’d drawn pictures and left little messages in crayon before leaving it on Lena’s nightstand for her to see when she woke up, after setting their tray of presents on the dresser. 

They may not have been the quietest, but they sure were the sweetest, that Kara was sure of.

* * *

 

Once everyone was occupied enough to be left alone, Kara flopped onto the bed, rolling onto her stomach so she was facing Lena, who was sitting up and reading. It turned out making dinner that her kids would actually eat and not complain about was a feat much easier said than done. She’d ended up giving in and making spaghetti tacos, only because she knew if she didn’t, it was going to be a very long night for everyone. But they were quiet and entertained, and that was all that mattered. 

As she laid down, she felt as if two giant cinder blocks had lifted off her shoulders, giving her the ability to breathe again. She could feel the sleep calling her, the urge to just relax and not care about anyone but herself growing stronger by the minute.

The hum of the city coming in from the open window, the white curtains blowing in the breeze, all the blankets and pillows that covered their bed. It was everything Kara needed after the day they’d had. 

“We have  _ so _ many kids,” she groaned without opening her eyes. “And they ask  _ so  _ many questions.” 

Lena smiled and nodded. “Yes, they tend to do that. But they’re pretty cool most of the time so that makes up for it.”

“Yeah,” Kara said softly. “Did you see the card they made you.” 

“I may have cried a little.” 

Kara chuckled. “They were really proud of themselves. Especially Luna because she signed her name almost all by herself.” 

Luna hadn’t started writing yet. Kara and Lena were still in the process of teaching her the alphabet and helping her learn to count, along with helping her learn to spell her own name, since her birth parents had never worked with her on these things. It was somewhat of a struggle, Luna just didn’t seem to grasp the concept of why things like numbers and letters had to go in a specific order, which meant helping her understand normally ended in a meltdown. So getting her to write her own name was a huge deal to them, even if it was something easy for other kids. 

“That’s great,” Lena marveled. “When I’m better I’m gonna give her such a big hug.” 

“I’m sure she’ll love that.”

Lena hummed in response and let out a yawn. 

“I like this look on you, it’s very cute” Kara randomly commented upon noticing Lena’s third outfit change of the day. This time she was clad in another one of Kara’s t-shirts which was a few sizes too big on her and opted for no pants, because screw those things. And poking out from under the quilt Lori had brought her, were mix-matched fuzzy socks, that Kara was pretty sure also belonged to her. She had a book in her hand and glasses on her nose and even though she still looked feverish and exhausted, Kara firmly believed she was the most beautiful woman in the world. 

“Thank you,” Lena said with a grin. “ _ You _ look exhausted.” 

She set her book down on the nightstand and laid down beside Kara. “You also seem like you could use some cuddles.” 

“How’d you know?” 

Lena shrugged. “It’s a gift.” She wrapped her arms around Kara they way Kara had done so many times for her today alone and pulled her close. And Kara instantly relaxed against her. She held Lena’s hand in her own and gently kissed it before looking up at Lena with a weary smile. 

“Thank you for being there today,” Lena said softly. She rested her head on top of Kara’s and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. “And every other day.” 

“You don’t need to thank me,” Kara let out a yawn and curled herself up closer to Lena. “I love you, you big nerd. Remember?” 

“I love you too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment or yell at me on my tumblr, @godhatesoliviaa , I always love getting feedback

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, feedback, and keysmashing is always welcome  
> Or feel free to yell at me on Tumblr @GodHatesOliviaa


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